Chapter 213: Night Talk

Looking up at the night sky, Fu Yuan sat on the sofa on the second-floor terrace of Jiang Hai's house, holding a beer in his hand. He watched the automatic barbecue machine rotate continuously over the bonfire, listening to the sizzling sound of oil dripping from the deer thigh onto the flames, and inhaling the mouth-watering aroma that made his mouth water. Fu Yuan let out a long sigh.

"Huh, time flies... I've been here with you for a week without even realizing it. Honestly, have I been annoying you?"

"Hehe, I really wish you could stay here a little longer." Jiang Hai replied casually. He reached for a dagger, cut a piece of meat from the still-turning deer, and popped it into his mouth.

"Kid, you really don't know how to appreciate your blessings. I feel like this has been the fastest week of my life. I haven't had enough fun, seriously. It feels like the end of summer vacation back when I was in school." Shaking his head, Fu Yuan sighed again.

Fu Yuan had only taken ten days off, plus a weekend, making it twelve days in total. He also took a day to prepare when he arrived. The travel itself consumed a couple of days—one day from Ice City to the Imperial Capital, and another from there to the United States, leaving him with just nine days to relax.

Before he knew it, seven days had passed. Tomorrow would be the eighth. He had booked a flight for noon to New York, then from there back to the Imperial Capital, before returning to Ice City to resume work on Monday.

"Yeah, I've gotten used to this life. If I go back to the old nine-to-five routine, I'm really not going to adjust. The fast-paced life seems more distant with each passing day…" Jiang Hai leaned back on another sofa, sipping his beer as he gazed at the bright moon and stars above. This was his favorite sight.

"Ugh, let's not talk about this. I'm just asking for trouble. When I think about the life I'm going back to and compare it with yours, I really understand what it means to compare people and die. Comparing things to things, you just throw them away…" Fu Yuan kicked his feet up, sitting up straight with a displeased expression.

"By the way, you're a rich man now. Forget how much cash you've got, but isn't your business here? You're not short on cash, and although you're not as handsome as me, you're not ugly. Why are you still single? I'm not even going to joke about your two daughters and those eight soft girls." Fu Yuan's curiosity got the best of him, and he looked at Jiang Hai for an answer.

To Fu Yuan, Jiang Hai was a rich man now. He had tens of millions of dollars in family wealth in China, flaunting luxury cars, villas, and beautiful women. How could someone like Jiang Hai, who was worth billions (in soft-girl yuan), live a worse life than those second-generation rich kids? Leisure and a high quality of life were great, but what was the point if there were no women?

During his stay, Fu Yuan had gotten to know Afra, Dina, and the others. When he first met these girls, he could barely keep his legs from wobbling. But after spending these days with them, the once-skinny girls from the police station seemed to have transformed.

Their healthy skin, delicate faces, and slender figures—coupled with some recent farm work—made them radiate a special, healthy beauty. Because of their unique feelings toward Jiang Hai, these girls often showed a subtle allure when they were around him. However, they remained indifferent to everyone else, a result of their difficult pasts, which had made it hard for them to open up to others.

For these girls, the only man who could win their hearts was Jiang Hai. And he didn't just enter; he could roam freely within them. Fu Yuan often teased Jiang Hai about this, but after hearing the girls' backstories, he stopped, as it didn't feel right to joke about it.

Rolling his eyes at Fu Yuan's words, Jiang Hai ignored the rest of his sentence and said slowly, "I'm a married man, you know nothing about it." When he spoke, Qi Li's face seemed to appear in front of him.

"Didn't you get a divorce?" Fu Yuan asked in surprise.

"It didn't work out. Qi Li held on to the agreement and never signed it, so I'm still married. If I wanted to go to court for a divorce, I could do it easily. I'd have to give her half, and I would have accepted that! But considering Darlene and Marianne, I've got a headache. I can't end up in jail just because of a divorce…" Jiang Hai rubbed his hair and spoke with frustration.

"Seems complicated, but why do you need a divorce? What does Qi Li have on you?" Fu Yuan asked, genuinely curious.

Jiang Hai flipped Fu Yuan the bird and grumbled, "Get lost…"

"Honestly, it was a mistake for me to get involved with Qi Li," Jiang Hai continued after a sip of his beer. He let out a long sigh, not knowing how to face the relationship with Qi Li anymore.

To be honest, Qi Li didn't owe him anything. When he was in dire need of money, she gave him 400,000 yuan. His role in her life had been to serve as a shield. It was like the saying goes: "Take the money and help remove the disaster."

"I was just a toad trying to eat swan meat. Qi Li's family had made their intentions clear from the start. She wanted me to handle the people in the company, and then she would inherit it. I just took the money I needed and dealt with my own issues." Jiang Hai took another sip of beer, reflecting on his past with Qi Li.

"I was too naïve. I thought that once we got married, she might see something in me or think I had some merit. Even if we didn't work out, she'd at least explain things and let me move on quickly. But that never happened. After the wedding day, she left, never to look back. At first, I'd send messages, trying to remind her I existed, but the people around her clearly didn't want me around… That was the worst time of my life, and I felt humiliated. It was a slap in the face."

This was the first time Jiang Hai had opened up to Fu Yuan about his failed marriage.

Fu Yuan didn't know how to respond. As the saying goes, it's hard for an honest person to judge family matters. From Qi Li's perspective, she had done nothing wrong.

She never had feelings for Jiang Hai; she only needed him to handle the people in her company. It was understandable that they pretended not to know each other. The people around her disapproved because he had taken money from her.

But from Jiang Hai's side, he wasn't wrong. He had returned the 400,000 yuan, and helped her secure her inheritance. Now, he didn't expect her to look back at him. He just wanted to leave and start over, free from the ties to her.

In a situation where neither of them had any feelings for each other, an amicable separation should have been easy.

But Qi Li never said anything, never asked him for anything, yet refused to sign. This left Jiang Hai frustrated. He felt played, knowing that Qi Li didn't refuse to sign because she liked him—she was just playing games.

That was what had made him explode that night.

As for whether Qi Li actually thought this way, Jiang Hai didn't know, nor did he care. He just assumed she was playing tricks.

"Your business is a headache…" Fu Yuan scratched his head, feeling overwhelmed.

"What should I do now?" Fu Yuan couldn't help but ask, seeing how irritated Jiang Hai had become.

"My lawyer says that even if I give up half of my property, I have to get a divorce. To avoid going to jail, I'll need to find someone to marry me…" Jiang Hai sighed helplessly, as if this was his only option.

"Anyone on the street would marry you with your current status! What are you worried about?" Fu Yuan raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. Jiang Hai's situation was a no-brainer; marrying would be easy.

"I've already had one inexplicable marriage. If I have another, am I crazy, or have you forgotten your medicine?" Jiang Hai gave Fu Yuan a contemptuous look. One was enough.

"Uh… Haha, that's true. Well, you'll have to figure it out yourself. Forget it, let's change the subject. Your situation is too heavy. By the way, where's the beef you promised me? How are you preparing it?"

At this, Jiang Hai sat up straight. "What else can I do? There's plenty in the cold storage downstairs. Take whatever you want. I have no problem with it."

"Oh my god, you want me to carry it back? Don't you know it's frozen? How am I supposed to get through security?"

"Well… that's not my problem. I can't take the beef and give you a box. Hahahaha…"

(To be continued)