It was 8:30 in the morning, at a coffee shop just outside Feng Yunchen's company.
Three people sat facing each other. All three had ties to Jiang Hai. Qi Li was Jiang Hai's nominal wife. His first lover was his junior high school classmate, Feng Yunchen. His second lover was Ai Xiaoxi.
To say the atmosphere was awkward would be an understatement. Although the three women were familiar with one another, their relationship remained... complicated.
"What exactly did you want to talk about?" Ai Xiaoxi finally broke the silence. She set down the spoon she had been stirring her coffee with and looked up at Qi Li. As if on cue, Qi Li and Feng Yunchen also put down what they were holding. The real conversation was about to begin.
"Jiang Hai called me. I'm flying to Winthrop tomorrow," Qi Li said calmly.
When Jiang Hai had decided to set up his company, it was nearly midnight in China—midday in the U.S. He had messaged Qi Li then, but she only saw it the next morning. After reading it, she decided to go. Not immediately, though—she still had to handle some matters at her own company. So, she booked a flight for the next day. But before leaving, she wanted to meet with Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen.
"He asked you to come?" Feng Yunchen asked, clearly puzzled. She couldn't understand why Jiang Hai had invited Qi Li. Qi Li responded with a small, confident nod.
"Then why did you bring us here? To warn us or give us an ultimatum?" Ai Xiaoxi asked, frowning. Her tone wasn't sharp, but the implication was clear: Why involve us at all?
"I invited you because I want you to come with me," Qi Li said bluntly, meeting their gazes directly.
"Why?" Feng Yunchen asked, clearly uncomfortable. "You know very well that our relationship isn't exactly... harmonious."
Qi Li wanting to take them to see Jiang Hai made no sense. Were they just going to watch her show off? But thinking about it, Jiang Hai wasn't that kind of man. Still, they couldn't understand Qi Li's true intentions.
"I'm not asking twice," Qi Li said smoothly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're either coming, or you're not." Her chuckle was faint, but her confidence was obvious. To her, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi weren't competitors—they were background noise.
"This is..." Feng Yunchen looked to Ai Xiaoxi, hesitation written all over both their faces.
At that moment, in Jiang Hai's villa, Qi Jie was sitting on the bed across from Jiang Hai, with Qi Ya beside her.
"You've really decided to bring Qi Li here?" Qi Jie asked, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Hai. He scratched his nose awkwardly.
"She's the most experienced when it comes to business," Qi Ya said, smiling as she gently poked Qi Jie's side. "Besides, it makes sense that her husband—uh, I mean, Jiang Hai—asked her to come."
Hearing her call him "brother-in-law" made Jiang Hai shiver. "I'm really 'blessed' to know the three of you..." he muttered, trailing off halfway under their sharp glares. Clearly, he had picked the wrong group of sisters to get involved with.
"As long as you know that," Qi Jie rolled her eyes. "It's fine. Work comes first. Let her come."
She rested her chin on her hand, her tone light, though a flicker of unease crossed her face. Being with Jiang Hai was one thing—but sharing space with Qi Li again? That was another matter.
"Are you planning to tell Qi Li about... all this?" Jiang Hai asked after a moment.
"Tell her? No," Qi Jie replied without hesitation. Her relationship with Qi Li wasn't exactly warm. Adding this complication would only make it worse.
"Then are you... leaving?" Jiang Hai asked, frowning. He wasn't trying to kick anyone out—he just didn't want anyone to feel pushed aside.
"I'm not leaving, just heading back to Miami temporarily," Qi Jie said evenly. "If I'm going to settle here permanently, I need to sell the research institute and pack things up."
Jiang Hai could hear the regret behind her words. They had shared a lot of time together—suddenly leaving wasn't easy.
"This can't go on forever... Maybe we should just be honest about everything," Jiang Hai said, biting his lip. He hated these vague, tense arrangements. "There are three of you, so be it. What's done is done. I can't pretend otherwise."
"We'll talk about that later," Qi Jie said with a soft smile. "At least wait until Qi Li is ready to live with you. For now, we're still your sisters-in-law. Now go book her arrival. We'll leave tomorrow."
She wasn't trying to force a decision—just clarity. Jiang Hai had made his position clear, and that was enough for now.
But Qi Jie wasn't emotionally ready to deal with Qi Li. She needed time.
"Tonight, you're mine," she added playfully. She stood and climbed onto Jiang Hai's lap, giving him a flirtatious smile. At the same time, she winked at Qi Ya to leave and close the door.
Qi Ya closed the door, but didn't leave. Instead, she turned back.
"I... I want to live here too," she said quietly.
Qi Jie's eyes narrowed, then she slapped Jiang Hai on the chest.
"So I was right! You have been acting strange lately." She sighed. "You bastard. You really won't let any of us go, will you?"
Jiang Hai didn't argue. He just smiled awkwardly, pulled Qi Jie close, and kissed her.
Qi Ya soon came over too. Taking off her coat, she hugged Jiang Hai from behind and bit his ear softly. She had been feeling neglected lately—Jiang Hai had been so busy...
There wasn't much conversation that night—there couldn't be. If anything they said had been written down, the book would've been banned.
By the time Jiang Hai got up the next morning, Qi Jie and Qi Ya had already left. Azarina had seen them off.
In fact, Jiang Hai had woken early but chose not to come down. He didn't know how to face them. Only after confirming they were gone did he come downstairs. Darlene and Marian had also gone out to send them off, leaving only Pra Walton and Cheryl Lee in the villa.
When Jiang Hai appeared, Pra Walton approached him immediately, ignoring his tired expression. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him.
"Does your wife even know about all these other women? Why'd you send them away?" she asked with a teasing smile.
Jiang Hai could only shrug. Some things were just too awkward to explain.
"Well, I was starting to think I came here for nothing," she laughed. "Your wife comes tomorrow. But today... you're all ours."
Without another word, she pushed him onto the sofa. She liked unconventional places more than the bed.
Seeing the scene unfold, Cheryl Lee joined in. She liked Pra Walton—and Jiang Hai. The "war" resumed in the living room.
That night, both Pra and Cheryl ended up in Jiang Hai's room. It was their first time using the jade bed there—it was fancy, but not exactly comfortable.
The next morning, the bed woke them more than any alarm. Groggy, they returned to their own rooms while Afra and others came to clean. Meanwhile, Jiang Hai got in his car and drove toward New York.
On the way, he grabbed two burritos to eat. After speeding down the highway, he arrived at New York's Guaraldi Airport around 10 a.m. Qi Li's flight was due in just over an hour.
He sat in his car and scrolled through his phone. Time passed quickly. When Qi Li called, Jiang Hai answered and confirmed her location, then went inside to meet her.
But as soon as he entered the terminal, he stopped dead.
Four women were walking out together. Jiang Hai instantly recognized them: Qi Li, her assistant (whose name he still didn't know), Ai Xiaoxi... and Feng Yunchen.
A cold sweat formed on Jiang Hai's forehead. What the hell was going on?
"Uh, you're here. Was the flight tiring?" he asked, forcing a smile.
He didn't dare question why the other two were here. Instead, he stepped forward to help with the luggage—only to realize with dismay that everyone had a heavy suitcase.
Whose bags should he grab first? Qi Li's? Ai Xiaoxi's? Feng Yunchen's?
Frozen in place, Jiang Hai looked like someone facing a firing squad.
"Go get a cart," Qi Li said coldly, shooting him a glare. Let's see if he still enjoys juggling women now.
Jiang Hai chuckled awkwardly, then rushed off to get a cart. After loading everyone's luggage, they headed outside and packed the car. Jiang Hai's War Shield SUV fit all five of them comfortably—Qi Li sat in the passenger seat, the other three in the back.
Still, the atmosphere was... tense.
Jiang Hai wanted to break the silence but couldn't find the words.
"Tell me how things are progressing," Qi Li finally said.
"Oh, right," Jiang Hai perked up. "I met with Moses Adams the day before yesterday. The company's registered—it's called Tenglong. Same for the brand. We'll focus on beef and seafood and build a brand image. Registered capital is three million USD. Should be finalized soon. What do you think?"
"Tenglong, huh?" Qi Li said. "A bit cheesy, but not bad. That said, the company's just paperwork for now. Once it's approved, you'll need to decide what to focus on. Personally, I don't think branding is necessary. Pra Walton and I have Haishang Supermarket—we can move your beef and seafood easily. You just need to ensure quality. As for the company itself, I'd recommend focusing on transportation."
(To be continued.)