"Hey, Jiang Hai, how long have I been staying at your place?" Xiao Ya lowered her head and leaned against Jiang Hai, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing. The atmosphere between them grew quiet, almost tender. To break the awkward silence, Xiao Ya hugged her knees and asked again.
"Oh, I think you've been here for about half a year!" Jiang Hai relaxed at her words, easing the subtle tension in the room. After a moment's thought, he recalled that the first time he saw Xiao Ya was in early June. Back then, he, Afra, and the others were still maintaining purely friendly relationships, and his connection with Bernice was strictly cooperative.
When Xiao Ya first arrived, he felt a little uneasy but accepted the two sisters because he had agreed to it. Unexpectedly, they had already spent over half a year together without even realizing it.
Their relationship had gone beyond ordinary friendship, but what it would develop into remained uncertain.
"Yeah, I didn't realize it had been half a year either. But Jiang Hai, these six months have been the happiest of my life. Before, I stayed alone in a plain white room — either cooking or reading, with nothing else to do. I couldn't watch TV because of the radiation, couldn't play on the computer, and couldn't connect with the outside world. The only people I could talk to in that world were my sister and mother. But after coming to the States, the only person I could really talk to was my sister…" Xiao Ya rested her head on her knees and spoke with a hint of sadness. Jiang Hai could feel the loneliness radiating from her words.
"Don't worry. When you're here, you don't need to think about any of that. As long as you don't leave, this place will always be your home." After a brief hesitation, Jiang Hai placed his hand gently on Xiao Ya's back and spoke softly.
"You really don't know how to comfort people!" Xiao Ya glanced at him, then turned and took his large hand, moving it from her back to rest on her shoulders. She leaned closer into his arms, and they sat together quietly, watching the fire flicker before them.
"Now, aren't we like a couple? Leaning on each other, staring at the fire…" After a while, Jiang Hai felt his arms growing numb. Just as he was about to stretch them, Xiao Ya's soft voice stopped him, and he reluctantly kept them still. Her words embarrassed him — what was this feeling?
"Well, this is only temporary. When the snow stops, we'll go back." Jiang Hai cleared his throat nervously.
"I know we'll go back then, but right now… I really wish we were a real couple." Xiao Ya's voice softened, and then she seemed to remember something. She looked up at Jiang Hai, her cheeks flushing pink. Seeing her like this, Jiang Hai opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
"Jiang Hai, I know about you and my sister. Can you give her the ending she wants?" Xiao Ya's serious gaze made Jiang Hai's heart skip a beat. It had only been a few days since she found out about his relationship with Bernice. The truth could no longer be hidden, and Jiang Hai found himself at a loss for an answer.
"This…" Jiang Hai hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"If you can't, then I'll answer for you… On the basis of that 'can't,' do you mind adding one more person?" Seeing Jiang Hai's evasive eyes, Xiao Ya suddenly sat up and settled directly on his lap. Her eyes, reflecting the fiery flames, locked onto his with a burning intensity. Despite the howling north wind outside, Jiang Hai's forehead was beaded with sweat.
"Okay, Xiao Ya, stop causing trouble. You're still sick." Jiang Hai gently touched her shoulders, trying to stand. Was he born to be pushed back? If so, his fate was cruel indeed.
"I'm fine now, so…" Xiao Ya brushed his hand away, bit her lip lightly, and threw herself into his arms. He had to admit—Xiao Ya and Bernice were indeed sisters. Even the way she clung to him was the same.
Though Xiao Ya was small, she was surprisingly strong. Jiang Hai feared hurting her, so after a brief struggle, he finally lifted her up. Watching her panting in front of him, he immediately stopped her attempts to cling tighter.
"You have to think about this. I… may not be able to give you anything." Jiang Hai spoke quickly as Xiao Ya prepared to throw herself at him again.
"I don't need you to give me anything. Now, just give me your child!" Xiao Ya slowly untied the Snow Queen cloak she wore. Suddenly, her unusually pale and tender skin came fully into Jiang Hai's view.
Compared to others, her figure was slender and delicate. Though her upper body wasn't very full, there was a cute charm about her that made anyone want to hold her close and cherish her.
Seeing the look in Jiang Hai's eyes, Xiao Ya chuckled softly. She knew she was attractive to him!
"Today, I'm yours!" she whispered, pressing her body against his, then kissed him deeply.
Outside, the north wind howled, but inside the small wooden cabin, the air was thick and suffocating.
Jiang Hai and Xiao Ya finally crossed the line and lost themselves in passion within the cabin…
Outside, the snow fell steadily, trapping Jiang Hai and his friends inside. Fortunately, they had brought plenty of food. After two days and nights of snow, it finally stopped on the night of the 27th. Still, they spent one more night inside the cabin before heading back to the manor. Their car was stuck in the deep snow, and they didn't call for help — the cabin was less than an hour's walk from the manor, but the snow was too thick for any vehicle.
Jiang Hai and Xiao Ya walked back, taking nearly two hours to cover what should have been one. They didn't reach the manor until almost noon on the 28th. Upon arrival, Jiang Hai was furious at the state of the manor.
Those damn deer had not only attacked him but also broken down his fence.
"It's great that you're both safe. Promise me you won't disappear like that again." Bernice and the others had already spotted Jiang Hai and Xiao Ya from the gate. Without a word, Bernice rushed to hug her sister, tears streaming down her face. She had been worried sick for two days, and if not for Jiang Hai's call, she might have gone crazy.
"I'm fine, sister. Don't worry. This won't happen again," Xiao Ya said, though her tone lacked confidence.
Jiang Hai remained silent. After hugging Darlene and the others, he found Robbins-Garcia.
"Boss, you're finally back!" Robbins-Garcia exclaimed, pulling Jiang Hai into a hug. He had been worried something bad might have happened. Knowing Jiang Hai was okay, he finally relaxed.
"Robbins, I'm not that easy to kill. How bad was the damage to the manor? Is everyone okay?" Jiang Hai smiled but scanned the manor, sensing things weren't great.
"Not too bad. We made it back in time, and no one got hurt, but we were trapped at home for days. The outer fence took the worst of it. Because of the heavy snow, the deer didn't linger long and left after a day. The cattle were spooked but manageable. The hay storage wasn't touched. Fixing the fences, though, will cost tens of thousands of dollars." Robbins-Garcia gestured helplessly toward the damaged fence. The fences were usually electrified to keep wild animals out.
However, they can't turn the power on when it rains or snows, because water conducts electricity.
If the power were on during rain or snow, the manor's power supply could burn out, leaving the whole place without electricity — a potential fire hazard, and a nightmare to fix.
So the fence power was off during the snowfall, allowing the deer to storm in.
"Money's no object. We'll fix it soon." Jiang Hai frowned at the chaotic manor.
"Also, Mayor Wallis called last night. The town is organizing a deer hunt to drive them back to the mountains, and they want to know if we'll join." Robbins-Garcia added.
"Of course we'll participate!" Jiang Hai clenched his fists. He wouldn't forget how those deer almost killed him. Revenge was non-negotiable. Robbins-Garcia smiled, knowing Jiang Hai well — if he didn't get revenge, he wouldn't be Jiang Hai.
"We leave after lunch. The town assigned us to hunt the deer." Robbins-Garcia's tone was serious, and Jiang Hai nodded without hesitation.
Back at the villa, Jiang Hai ate with the family, then left them to guard the house.
Because the fence was broken, Jiang Hai left Azarina at home for safety. He took Bell-Lester, Connorson-Peters, and the two Turner boys — Louis and John — and drove his 650 with a Remington shotgun to town. He'd already called the repair crew to tow the car out and fix the fence.
Upon arriving, Jiang Hai saw signs of deer activity in town — several fences damaged. These deer were truly troublesome.
But thankfully, this year's deer problem hadn't caused much loss. No injuries were reported, which was the most important thing. The government promised subsidies for the damages, so no one was too worried.
Mayor Wallis greeted Jiang Hai warmly and, after confirming he was unharmed, assigned the groups for the hunt.
Wallis was cautious, dividing hunters into three car groups:
Jiang Hai's group of five,
a car with two brothers and a teenager,
and a police vehicle with four officers.
Hunting wild animals is illegal in the U.S., so they had to document the hunt carefully — no chasing deer into the forest, and weapons had to be registered. Jiang Hai's AUG was forbidden; only shotguns were allowed.
As they left town, Jiang Hai's team spotted a small group of five or six deer foraging in the snow near the outskirts. It was nothing like the hundreds of deer they had faced before.
Jiang Hai raised his shotgun, ready to take aim.
But the deer were cunning. Hearing the engine, one lifted its head, then without a sound, they all scattered and fled.
The heavy snow had lasted for two days and nights, drying only overnight and under the afternoon sun. Travel was difficult, especially on the slushy snow pressed down by cars, but the deer handled it well.
(To be continued.)