Chapter 227: Testing

Upon hearing that it was Cindy Clive's sister, the animals' initial alert expressions immediately softened.

Even Ban Ya, who had just been complaining, hurried over to her side with a flattering smile. As for Xiao Bai, it simply sat there, staring at Ban Ya with a confused expression. It didn't understand why Ban Ya, who had been eager to fight moments ago, was now trying to win favor with others. Jiujiu, too, continued to stretch its neck, looking on with a puzzled gaze. Perhaps, in its underdeveloped understanding, it found it hard to grasp Ban Ya's fickleness.

Xiao Huang remained aloof. After casting a brief glance at Kama Clive, he turned and walked away.

When the boss left, the others didn't linger either. After the monster's cry, they followed Xiao Huang's lead and dispersed.

"Alright, come on in. It's your first time here, and they don't know you yet. You can visit again in the future." Kama Clive had yet to recover from the earlier scare caused by the animals. Seeing her, Jiang Hai couldn't help but smile. This girl seemed fearless, but in reality, she was quite timid.

"Your animals are so smart! If your two dogs ever have puppies, remember to save one for me!" But it seemed that Jiang Hai was overthinking. It appeared that to truly scare a girl like Kama, one would need to let her experience a dog bite. At this age, people cared more about food than about physical threats, and Kama was no different.

"Alright, come on in!" Jiang Hai smiled as he gestured for her to follow.

Seeing Jiang Hai head toward the villa and open the door, Cindy Clive also pulled her sister inside. However, Kama Clive was clearly intrigued by Jiang Hai's manor.

Before coming here, she had already observed the property from a distance. She had to admit that Jiang Hai's estate was impressive. Especially now, in early spring, the sky was clear, and the distant ocean sparkled in blue. The grasslands between the sky and sea were lush, with a large group of cattle and sheep grazing peacefully. The breeze brushed through the grass, revealing the grazing animals—a picturesque scene. Kama Clive longed to explore, but with her sister by her side, she reluctantly set the thought aside, resolving to come back another time for some fun.

But as she walked into the villa, her resolve wavered slightly.

Inside, several girls were already sitting in the living room. Kama Clive glanced around. Most of them were around her age, with a few slightly older, and two were noticeably younger. As Jiang Hai entered, all the girls smiled warmly. However, when they saw Kama and Cindy, most of the smiles faltered. Only the youngest pair of sisters smiled the most, which made Kama Clive uneasy.

"This Jiang Hai... is he a pervert? How does he have so many girls, and they're all so pretty?" Kama Clive thought to herself, her earlier enthusiasm now replaced with doubt. Her determination to stay evaporated in an instant.

Cindy Clive, on the other hand, didn't share her sister's reservations. "You're all here. I missed Darlene and Marianne today, so I came to see them. I also wanted to teach them some lessons. Would you like to join in?" Unlike Kama Clive, Cindy knew all these girls. She had learned about their past from Jiang Hai and had seen them many times, so she wasn't unfamiliar with them. Still, the girls seemed a little wary of her.

"No, we'll leave now. It's almost time for lunch, and we still have work to do later." Aphra Arnold, who was sitting closest to the door, stood up with a smile and made a gesture toward Cindy. The other girls, who had been sitting, stood up as well, smiled at Cindy, nodded to Jiang Hai, grabbed their coats, and headed out.

Cindy Clive understood that the girls didn't want to interact with her too much. She knew this wasn't the right time to push them, and her main focus was still Darlene and Marianne.

Once the girls had left, Darlene and Marianne rushed over, each throwing themselves into Cindy's arms, one on each side. They were still a little cautious of Kama Clive, who stood behind Cindy.

"Alright, let me introduce you. This is Kama Clive, Cindy's sister. She's visiting today. You two should get along well. Have you eaten yet?" Jiang Hai asked the girls after hanging his coat by the door. The two girls glanced at Kama Clive, then gestured to Jiang Hai.

Jiang Hai understood this meant they had already eaten. It made sense—if he wasn't around, the two little girls would likely have gone to Mrs. Philemon's house to eat, and with the other girls like Aphra around, they wouldn't go hungry.

Although these girls had no cooking experience when they first arrived at the manor, they had learned quickly. At first, they could barely cook a simple meal, but after a few months, they had become reasonably skilled in the kitchen. Darlene and Marianne, in particular, were the central bond between the girls and Jiang Hai. No matter the reason, they always supported the two girls.

"Okay, you two sit down and watch TV for a bit. I'll go prepare lunch. Your teacher Cindy and Miss Kama and I haven't eaten yet." Jiang Hai smiled, then turned to walk to the kitchen.

Originally, he had planned to take Darlene and Marianne to Winthrop for dinner, but Kama Clive had requested Jiang Hai's steak instead. Though Jiang Hai wasn't the best cook, he agreed.

"I'll help," Kama Clive said, noticing Jiang Hai heading to the cold storage. She followed him into the kitchen, eager to lend a hand.

"What? Are you hungry? Don't worry, it'll be ready soon," Jiang Hai said as he marinated the steak.

"No, I'm here to help." Kama Clive washed her hands, grabbed the vegetables Jiang Hai had set aside, and began preparing them.

"Don't bother, it's not appropriate to make guests do this," Jiang Hai protested.

"Hey, don't be so formal. We're the same age, haha. Actually, my sister and I are the same age as you, so it's only natural to help. We didn't bring a gift, so this is our way of contributing. Don't look down on me—I used to help my dad in the kitchen when I was younger," Kama Clive replied, quickly getting to work.

She wasn't exaggerating. When her father had worked at a western restaurant, Kama had learned how to chop vegetables and assist with other kitchen tasks in exchange for pocket money.

Seeing Kama's impressive knife skills, Jiang Hai was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't realized she had such talent.

"Hey, I say, are you interested in my sister..." Kama Clive asked while chopping the vegetables.

"Well, I wouldn't say 'interested,' but I admit I have some feelings for your sister," Jiang Hai answered, slightly embarrassed.

"Tsk, 'some feelings'—what does that even mean? You Easterners are all so reserved. Let me be blunt: you should know my sister's situation. She can't stand anyone who's unfaithful. You have so many girls here, and you're so open about it. I don't think you're very promising!" Kama Clive said, her eyes fixed on Jiang Hai, watching for his reaction. But Jiang Hai didn't flinch. He didn't seem nervous or shy at all, as if her words hadn't fazed him.

"Oh, you mean those girls earlier? They're all deaf-mutes. For some reason, I hired them as employees. I have a winery, but I haven't found the right winemaker yet, so it hasn't started. As for Darlene and Marianne, they're my daughters. Your sister knows all this. There's nothing going on between us," Jiang Hai explained. Though not a saint, he had his principles. After all, a rabbit doesn't eat grass near its burrow.

"A winemaker? If you really want to make wine, I know someone who would be a good candidate," Kama Clive's eyes lit up.

(To be continued...)