As Jiang Hai had agreed, Pra Walton couldn't help but laugh and immediately pulled Selena Gomez, who seemed a little unsure, toward Jiang Hai's villa.
However, just after opening the door, they were met with the sight of Darlene and Marianne.
The two delicate girls were sitting on the living room sofa, watching TV. Unlike other 14- or 15-year-olds, they didn't have many friends and weren't very interested in the internet. Their previous lives had made them indifferent to online activities. Compared to browsing the internet, they preferred to sit in front of the TV and watch paid channels. Their favorite shows included talent competitions like ABC's Dancing with the Stars, NBC's America's Got Talent, Fox's American Idol, and even CW's America's Next Top Model.
While Jiang Hai enjoyed American dramas, their shows seemed rather ordinary by comparison.
At that moment, the two girls were engrossed in America's Next Top Model, which Jiang Hai had also watched before.
To be honest, Jiang Hai wasn't very interested in the show. Although he appreciated watching beautiful women, most of the supermodels appeared, well, average. They had great bodies, but they were too thin. As for their faces, they were just... ordinary.
Though Jiang Hai wasn't obsessed with looks, men tend to first notice a woman's face, and then her body. Clothes, on the other hand, didn't matter much—at least not to him.
When Pra Walton walked into the room, her eyes lit up as she saw Darlene and Marianne.
"Wow, two cute little girls! Are you twins? How come you're so beautiful? Do you want to come play at your sister's house?" Pra Walton's excitement was overwhelming, and it startled the two girls. They glanced at her in horror and unconsciously shifted to the sofa next to them.
"Hey, these are my two girls, Darlene and Marianne. This is your... Aunt Pra Walton, and Selena Gomez—um... Aunt? Or sister?" Jiang Hai immediately stepped forward, trying to direct the attention away from the two girls.
"You should call me 'sister.' Got it? This one is also a sister..." Pra Walton's face darkened when she heard the word "Aunt" from Jiang Hai. She never considered how old she was, and it surprised her that he referred to her as an aunt.
"Alright, alright, it's sister then. Now, you two go back to your room and read for a while. I'll show your two sisters to their rooms. They'll be staying here for a few days," Jiang Hai said, noticing that Darlene and Marianne were still a bit cautious of strangers. He took it upon himself to ease the situation. Upon hearing his words, the two girls quickly stood up, bowed to Pra Walton and Selena Gomez, and hurried to the second floor.
Seeing them run off, Jiang Hai couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Pra Walton, whose expression showed a hint of disappointment.
"Come upstairs. Since you're not afraid I have any bad intentions, you can stay in the guest rooms upstairs. I don't have any rooms specifically for guests; the workers' rooms are all stand-alone villas, and they're all occupied." Jiang Hai shrugged and resolved that he would try to avoid letting Darlene and Marianne be alone with Pra Walton in the future.
"That's troublesome." Fortunately, Pra Walton wasn't as tense now that Darlene and Marianne were gone. She seemed to regain her usual queenly composure and simply nodded to Jiang Hai.
Jiang Hai led them to the second floor and opened the two guest rooms at the farthest end. When the guest rooms are used, Afra and the others clean them, so they were tidy.
Looking at the rooms, the two women seemed quite satisfied.
"We could actually share a room," Pra Walton murmured, eyeing the large bed.
"I'll go change first. See you later." Upon hearing her suggestion, Selena Gomez immediately stood up, nodded lightly to Jiang Hai, and walked into another room, locking the door behind her.
Pra Walton's lips curled into a slight smile. "Interesting," she said quietly.
As she spoke, she walked straight into her room and shut the door. For a moment, Jiang Hai, who had escorted them up, found himself caught in an awkward position. It was difficult to decide whether to stay or leave.
However, his embarrassment was brief. Giving up, he headed back downstairs to the first floor, in need of some quiet time.
The two women had come to his manor to relax, and as the host—especially considering that one of them might be his partner—Jiang Hai started thinking about what they could do in the manor.
Horseback riding, going to the sea, fishing, and strolling along the beach were the obvious options.
The weather wasn't too hot right now, so going into the water would likely be uncomfortable for them. Jiang Hai also thought that they probably wouldn't want to go downstairs. The activities available were limited. There was a forest area, but they could head there if they wanted.
Just as Jiang Hai was contemplating what to do, the two women changed into more casual clothing and came downstairs again.
When they reached the bottom, Pra Walton smiled. "Shall we go?"
"Sure, but where do you want to go?" Jiang Hai stood up and asked.
"The beach. What else do you have to do here besides the beach?" Pra Walton said, twirling her hair with her fingers. She looked at Jiang Hai in mild surprise.
"Well, there's plenty to do. You can ride horses, go to the sea, fish, visit the woods to shoot guns, and the most important thing is—you can see cows." Jiang Hai glanced sideways at Pra Walton. He couldn't help but feel that she seemed different from the cool, distant persona she had when he first met her.
She was acting a bit reckless and immature now, which didn't quite match the image he had of her.
"Let's go to the beach first, then," Pra Walton decided, ignoring Jiang Hai's quiet observation.
Since she had made up her mind, Selena Gomez had no objections. In truth, she was just along for the ride. She didn't really care about what they were doing. For stars like her and rich women like Pra Walton, what hadn't they experienced? Did they really care about Jiang Hai's humble manor? They were here just to kill time and unwind—work was secondary.
"Alright," Jiang Hai agreed. He led them out of the villa, where he drove a four-wheeled motorcycle while the two women drove their own, following one after the other along the paved roads in the manor, heading toward the seaside. However, it wasn't long before Pra Walton overtook them.
"What's that?" Pra Walton pointed to a small manor on the left.
"That's the wine manor," Jiang Hai answered, glancing at the estate.
"Do you still have red wine here?" Pra Walton's eyes lit up.
"Yes, but we haven't started brewing yet. It's still in the planting stage," Jiang Hai replied.
He planted the grapes to make wine, which he planned to sell for profit. If they turned out well, he might even enjoy some himself.
"What a great life," Pra Walton commented, curling her lips. She accelerated, overtaking Jiang Hai, and headed toward the wine estate. Jiang Hai followed her, changing his route.
When they arrived at the estate, Dulles-Gerald, the head of Jiang Hai Winery, was squatting under a grapevine, explaining pruning techniques to Aphra and the others. Pruning was essential for grapevines, as it helped to direct nutrients to the main branches and improve the quality of the grapes.
Aphra, Dinah, and the others listened intently, as this kind of knowledge was invaluable for successful cultivation.
Since they had all "reborn" under Jiang Hai's influence, their feelings for him had slowly developed, especially under Aphra's subtle seduction. Almost all the women shared the same dream lover—someone who resembled Jiang Hai.
(To be continued...)