Chapter 199: Visit

"Horseback riding, fishing, playing with guns—although I am very interested, there are still no girls..." Listening to Jiang Hai's plans for the next few days, Fu Yuan walked alongside him, smiling. Of course, his words were not meant to be taken seriously.

"Stop talking nonsense. Just bear it and take care of it with your little pink light when you get back." Jiang Hai gave him a contemptuous look and said.

He then opened the door to the villa and led Fu Yuan inside.

As soon as the two entered, they saw Darlene and Marianne sitting in the living room, watching TV.

The two girls, aware that guests were arriving today, had gotten up early to clean the house. Although Jiang Hai's villa couldn't be called spotless, it was certainly neat and tidy. The girls had also changed into decent clothes—white chiffon shirts with autumn tops underneath, which subtly outlined their already attractive figures.

They were wearing denim shorts, just about an inch above their knees—not hot pants, as Jiang Hai would never allow that. Their knee-length black stockings completed the look, and their long, straight hair cascaded behind them. When they sat there, they looked like two perfect young ladies.

Although it was still snowing outside, it was warm inside the villa, so their attire was perfectly appropriate.

Upon seeing Jiang Hai and Fu Yuan, the two girls immediately jumped up from the couch and ran over, their faces glowing with sweet smiles.

"Hey, what's going on?" Fu Yuan, who had been joking about girls, suddenly became shy when he saw them. He looked at Jiang Hai in confusion and asked.

"These are the two daughters I was telling you about. This is Darlene, and this is Marianne." Jiang Hai shrugged, noticing Fu Yuan's awkwardness. After casually changing into slippers, he threw Fu Yuan's bag onto the nearby couch. He then gave both girls a quick hug and proudly said, "These two are mine." Though he sometimes had a saintly complex about adopting them, he also couldn't help but feel proud. He thought it was fashionable to show off your children nowadays, so he allowed himself this moment of pride. Fu Yuan was the first person to witness it, and it seemed to be going over well.

"Ahem, uh, ha... hello! My name is... Yuan Fu, my, my... son... I mean, your father's brother..." Fu Yuan stammered as he tried to speak, his words coming out awkwardly. His throat went dry as he looked at the two girls who were curiously staring at him. His pronunciation was strange, and his grammar was off, but the meaning was clear enough for the girls to understand.

The girls smiled sweetly at him and made some gestures, signaling that they were happy to meet him.

"What does that mean?" Fu Yuan asked, puzzled by the girls' gestures.

"They can't speak, but they can listen. This is sign language. It means they are happy to meet you." Jiang Hai explained, having spent enough time with the girls to understand some basic sign language.

"Oh, is that so? What a shame... Such pretty girls, tut-tut. By the way, here are two red envelopes. Is it Chinese New Year? Good luck. Each one has 500 USD in it. It's not much, but you didn't tell me about these two girls before. I only knew you adopted two children. Buy them something nice to eat." Fu Yuan sighed as he thought about the situation. Two beautiful girls who couldn't speak—perhaps it was God's way of punishing them for their beauty.

As he spoke, he pulled out two red envelopes from his pocket and handed them to the girls. The two girls were startled and quickly backed away, retreating to Jiang Hai's side with wary expressions.

"Stop!" Jiang Hai quickly stepped in before Fu Yuan could chase them down with the envelopes. He then explained with a mixture of laughter and frustration that, in the U.S., people don't give money directly to others as gifts, even during special occasions like the New Year. It's more common to give valuable items, which can be sold if the person doesn't want them. Giving money directly is frowned upon, and there's no such thing as New Year's money like there is in China.

"In the U.S., they avoid receiving money as a gift. It's weird," Jiang Hai added with a chuckle.

Fu Yuan, still baffled, said, "I didn't bring any gifts either. You didn't tell me. I should have bought something when I was in New York or Boston." The thousand dollars he'd exchanged for the girls was a significant amount for him, about 6,000 RMB, and he really wanted to show his appreciation.

"It's enough that you had the thought," Jiang Hai reassured him, not particularly concerned about the gift. He smiled, though he couldn't deny that Fu Yuan's gesture was appreciated.

"How can this be? By the way, I do have something here. It's not valuable, but I brought it from China for you to enjoy." Fu Yuan suddenly remembered something and rummaged through his backpack. He pulled out two small bags, which Jiang Hai immediately recognized as Taizu commemorative medals. These were relics from a special historical period in China. Though they weren't as valuable now, they were still cherished as souvenirs.

Darlene and Marianne, more interested in the commemorative medals than the red envelopes, took them eagerly, smiled, and thanked Fu Yuan before running upstairs to play.

"Ah, your life, I envy you," Fu Yuan muttered as he watched them leave, his tone a bit lecherous.

"You can't keep anything serious in your mind. Let's go upstairs and get you settled in." Jiang Hai gave Fu Yuan a pat on the back, then led him upstairs to a spare room.

The guest room, facing the same direction as Jiang Hai's room, had a spectacular view of the sea. As soon as Fu Yuan entered the room, he set down his backpack and, despite feeling a bit tired from the car ride, became energized. He immediately began taking photos of the view—distant beaches, rolling waves, the lawn beneath the villa, and the cattle grazing far off. His excitement grew as he snapped more pictures.

After finishing his photo session, Fu Yuan took a few selfies and even dragged Jiang Hai into some of the shots.

"When did you develop this hobby?" Jiang Hai asked, amused as he accompanied Fu Yuan in some ridiculous poses. Looking at Fu Yuan's phone, Jiang Hai noticed the man had joined multiple groups—his work group, Jiang Hai's class group, and several groups from his past—elementary school, high school, university, and family. Fu Yuan was clearly an active social media user.

"I've always liked to show off. Don't you check my Moments?" Fu Yuan said, proudly scrolling through his photos.

"I blocked it. You always post such random stuff," Jiang Hai replied with a laugh. Fu Yuan had a habit of posting everything from his meals to random jokes, which Jiang Hai couldn't care less about. Unlike many young people today, Jiang Hai wasn't into social media; he preferred to play games when he used his phone.

"Alright, you should rest now. But don't sleep too much, or you'll mess up your jet lag. When you wake up, I'll treat you to a big meal." Jiang Hai smiled and closed the door behind him, though he knew Fu Yuan likely wouldn't listen to his advice.

Later, at around 4 p.m., Jiang Hai knocked on Fu Yuan's door, finding the man with red, bloodshot eyes—not from crying, but from staying up too excited. "What's wrong with you? Did you get into something you shouldn't have?" Jiang Hai asked, puzzled.

"Damn, do you think I really did that? After I uploaded those photos, my goddess replied to me!" Fu Yuan exclaimed, grinning widely.

(To be continued...)