"By the way, where are Bernice and Xiaoya?" After distributing the gifts, Jiang Hai noticed he still had two items left in his hands—a pair of Hetian jade bracelets. The bracelets were made of pure white jade, flawless and pristine. This was Jiang Hai's second visit to the capital, and he had obtained them from Fatty Wang. They were worth 20,000 yuan and were the gifts he had prepared for Bernice and Xiaoya.
Among the most expensive gifts Jiang Hai had bought this time were these bracelets, a necklace, and a ring. He had already given the necklace to Aphra, who was now admiring it with delight, unable to put it down. The ring was meant for Cindy Clive, and it remained to be seen if she would understand the significance of his gesture. As for the bracelets, they were intended for Bernice and Xiaoya, yet he couldn't see them anywhere, which puzzled him. Had they left?
Jiang Hai felt a bit guilty toward the two girls. They had helped him in the past, and although he had promised to treat Xiaoya's illness, he had failed to do so when she arrived. Instead, he had enjoyed the meals she cooked every day while she nearly lost her life. That guilt weighed on him, and he hoped the bracelets would help express his remorse and gratitude.
However, despite his efforts to distribute all the gifts, these two remained undelivered, leaving him somewhat perplexed.
"Xiaoya and Bernice should still be in my villa. They know you're back, but it's not convenient for them to come over right now," Aphra responded dreamily as she caressed her necklace, lost in thought. What did Jiang Hai mean by giving her such a beautiful necklace? Was it his way of making a lifelong commitment?
"Oh, I forgot! I'll go give it to them now." Jiang Hai glanced outside; the sun had yet to set. Realizing his oversight, he patted his forehead and stood up, preparing to leave.
"Boss, everything is almost ready. Should we start the fire?" Philemon called out, stopping Jiang Hai in his tracks. His tone was urgent. "A party in America isn't complete without a bonfire!"
Most of the food prepared for the gathering, aside from some cold dishes and soup, was meant to be grilled. Fish, shrimp, and various meats would taste much better over an open flame.
Jiang Hai, being the owner of the manor, was no stranger to such events and saw no reason to hesitate. "Go ahead and light it. I'll be back soon," he said with a smile before heading out.
Jiang Hai had been away for nearly half a month, and during that time, his villa had undergone extensive renovations. The outer walls had been repainted, and the lingering scent of paint and adhesive was still present. Of course, Jiang Hai spared no expense, ensuring that only the highest quality, non-toxic materials were used. Even the adhesive was made from pure natural ingredients, harmless to humans.
Despite the external renovations, his room had only been tidied up. Before the renovations began, he had instructed that his room be paved with Hetian jade flooring, which had already been ordered. Since the jade had yet to arrive, there was no need to redo the room. For now, he stayed in one of the many guest rooms in the villa.
Interestingly, despite the villa's refurbishment, Bernice and Xiaoya had not moved in. The vastness of the house, with only the two of them and Jiang Hai's animals residing there, made them uneasy. Instead, they preferred to stay in a smaller villa—one Jiang Hai was quite familiar with, as it belonged to Aphra.
Arriving at Aphra's villa, Jiang Hai spotted Bernice standing on the second-floor balcony, gazing at him. The moment their eyes met, a rare smile appeared on her usually cold face, showing her happiness at his return. But as soon as Jiang Hai waved at her, the smile vanished, and she turned away, disappearing inside.
Jiang Hai couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. What was that about? If he were more experienced in relationships, he would recognize this as a sign of a woman's anger. Unfortunately, he wasn't.
Scratching his nose in mild confusion, he pushed the door open and walked straight to the second floor. Just as he reached the stairs, Bernice appeared with her hands in her pockets, an expression of feigned indifference on her face.
"Oh, you still remember us? I thought you had long forgotten about us sisters," she said, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Jiang Hai awkwardly rubbed his nose. Why did she make him sound so unfaithful?
"Hehe, it's because of Xiaoya's condition. It hasn't been easy for me to leave, or I would have taken you both with me," he explained, his tone softer due to the guilt he felt.
"Tsk, even if you had, we wouldn't have gone with you. What are you doing here?" Bernice responded, though a fleeting trace of joy flashed in her eyes before she quickly masked it with her usual arrogance.
"Oh, right! I came to give you both gifts. Haha! I'm throwing a party over there. You should come join us later," Jiang Hai said, raising his hand in a helpless gesture.
Bernice eyed the gift boxes in his hands knowingly and led him into Xiaoya's room.
As soon as Jiang Hai stepped inside, he was once again enveloped in a world of white. Xiaoya sat in a white corner, engrossed in a thick book. Hearing the door open, she lifted her head. The moment she saw him, her face lit up with a warm smile.
"You're back! How did everything go?" she asked.
Jiang Hai smiled in return and took a step forward, only to be stopped by Bernice, who pointed at his feet. Realizing his mistake, he sighed, slipped on the shoe covers provided, and walked inside, sitting across from Xiaoya.
"Everything's settled. I brought back gifts from China for you two," he said, handing over the boxes.
Xiaoya accepted them and immediately passed one to Bernice. The sisters exchanged a glance before opening their respective boxes. Upon seeing the jade bracelets, they both froze in shock.
"This is too expensive!" Though they weren't jade experts, they could tell at a glance that the bracelets were incredibly valuable. They weren't related to Jiang Hai, so receiving such a costly gift felt a bit inappropriate.
"No refusals, and don't return them. You know I don't care about money. Honestly, I got these for you out of guilt. You came here seeking treatment, but instead of curing your illness, I put you in danger. Consider this my apology. If you don't accept it, I'll feel even worse," Jiang Hai said, raising a hand before they could protest.
"Actually, you don't need to feel that way. We're not too bothered by it. Besides, how often do we get to experience such excitement, right, sister?" Xiaoya said cheerfully, glancing at Bernice.
"Hmph," Bernice huffed, maintaining her prideful demeanor.
"Alright, take them. Also, move back to my villa tonight. I'll start your treatment tomorrow, and you'll recover in no time," Jiang Hai said seriously.
"Really?" Xiaoya and Bernice both looked at him in shock.
In truth, Bernice had already given up hope of finding a cure for Xiaoya's illness. There was no known remedy. She had brought Xiaoya here as a last-ditch effort, but after seeing the beautiful environment and Jiang Hai's kindness, she decided to let her sister stay and enjoy a vacation.
But now, Jiang Hai claimed he could truly cure Xiaoya. The sisters were stunned.
"Thank you," Xiaoya said sincerely, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"No need to thank me. We're friends, aren't we?" Jiang Hai grinned. "Alright, enough talk about illnesses. Let's change the subject—it's still early."
"What do you mean by that?" Xiaoya asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"I'm hosting a bonfire party. You two should join. It won't be the same without you!" Jiang Hai clapped his hands with enthusiasm.
Xiaoya hesitated for a moment but then smiled. She had never attended a party before.
Seeing her sister's eager expression, Bernice wanted to object, but no words came out. Xiaoya had suffered so much, yet she always smiled to mask her pain. If this could bring her joy, how could Bernice refuse?
With Jiang Hai around, everything would be fine. To be continued.