My Manor

"Are you really going to sue them?" Sitting in the passenger seat of the pickup truck, Cindy Clive hesitated for a moment before asking Jiang Hai.

Although she didn't say it directly, Jiang Hai knew exactly what she was referring to.

After hearing Penelope explain the situation earlier, Jiang Hai had indeed been furious at the time. But now, after thinking it through, he felt helpless. If he didn't sue them, he would feel angry. But if he did sue, those people wouldn't be able to pay the damages anyway. At most, they'd be locked up for a while, which wouldn't benefit him in any way. More importantly, if he really pursued legal action, would people think he was bullying them? That was something Jiang Hai wanted to avoid.

"I'm not sure. I don't want to think about it for now," he finally replied after a long silence. "Those people seem to have done this more than once. They've probably pulled these stunts many times. Maybe after the police finish questioning them, even if I don't press charges, they won't be let off so easily. For now, I just want to eat. I'm starving."

"Good idea," Cindy Clive agreed. Since Jiang Hai hadn't made up his mind yet, she knew it was pointless to say anything more.

To be honest, if it were her decision, she wouldn't be happy about letting those people go either. Since it was a tough call to make, it was better to leave it for later.

With that, their conversation shifted back to its usual tone.

Jiang Hai's F650 quickly left Boston at full speed, heading toward Winthrop. It was already past seven in the evening. The city center roads might still have been a bit congested, but the highways were clear now that rush hour had passed. Jiang Hai drove at top speed on the open road.

What was supposed to be a journey of more than an hour took less time, and he made it back to his manor before eight o'clock.

The manor's gate had been rebuilt by Jiang Hai after he took over the property. Although it looked ordinary, it had an automatic identification system. When Jiang Hai approached, all he had to do was scan his face. Of course, there was also a triple security system in place with a key, password, and lock. Inside the villa, except for the workers' rooms, most doors had double locks. They could be opened with a password, but without it, a key was necessary.

The gates opened slowly, and Jiang Hai's car rolled into the manor.

As he pulled up in front of his villa, the front door opened, and out ran Xiaobai and Xiaohuang, his two large dogs. Perched on Xiaobai's head was Banya, the snow squirrel Jiang Hai had brought back from the forest.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!" The two dogs and the squirrel rushed to Jiang Hai's car, barking and chittering excitedly.

This startled Cindy Clive, who was about to step out of the car. Seeing the two massive beasts, she hesitated, her hand hovering over the door handle, unsure whether it was safe to get out.

"Go on, shoo! Go play somewhere else." Jiang Hai chuckled, kicking both Xiaobai and Xiaohuang lightly on their rear ends to send them away. "Don't worry," he reassured Cindy. "They won't bite. They're just welcoming us."

Hearing this, Cindy relaxed a little. She watched as the dogs obediently trotted off after being kicked and stopped barking. They really didn't seem aggressive at all.

She knew that manor owners like Jiang Hai often kept dogs, especially for cattle herding. Although her family had never raised any dogs, she had mentally prepared herself for it.

After stepping out of the car, Cindy kept her eyes on the two dogs. Truth be told, ever since they had come under Jiang Hai's care, they'd been well-fed and well-housed. Most notably, Jiang Hai had used a special treatment on them that not only improved their intelligence but also increased their size.

Both Xiaobai, a Caucasian Shepherd, and Xiaohuang, a Blue Wolf Mastiff, were already large breeds. After a few months of nourishment, they seemed to have grown even larger.

Xiaohuang, in particular, was starting to resemble a wolf more and more, except it was even bigger than the largest North American gray wolf. His claws and teeth were usually hidden, but when he bared them, they looked intimidating.

Xiaobai, the Caucasian Shepherd, was even bigger than Xiaohuang by half a size. While he didn't seem as fierce, his sheer size made him more imposing.

Both dogs had shiny, smooth fur with no unpleasant smell. Anyone who knew about dogs would instantly recognize that these were top-quality breeds.

As for Banya, the snow squirrel, it had also changed a lot recently. Its fur had grown smoother and glossier, and Jiang Hai was a little worried that if it kept growing, it might turn into a mink. But among the three little companions, Banya was definitely the smartest.

As Cindy stepped out of the car, Banya's eyes twinkled, and it leaped down from Xiaobai's head. The little squirrel quickly scampered over to her, climbing up her leg and into her palm, nuzzling against her hand.

"Aww, what a little cutie! What's its name?" Cindy's eyes lit up with delight.

"Uh… its name is Banya. Anyway, let's head inside first," Jiang Hai said with a smile. He couldn't help but shake his head at how clever Banya had become, already figuring out how to charm people.

"Okay!" Cindy nodded enthusiastically.

As they approached the villa, Xiaobai and Xiaohuang led the way inside. The moment they stepped through the door, they were greeted by a wave of warm air, making both Jiang Hai and Cindy take a deep breath.

Although the car had been warm thanks to the heater, the air inside had felt a bit stale. Now, stepping into the villa, the warmth was refreshing and pleasant.

Jiang Hai, being from northern China, was more sensitive to the cold than southerners. In the south, homes typically didn't have central heating, so people there just endured the winter. But in the north, people relied on heating to stay warm.

Although Boston was in the north, its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean gave it a milder oceanic climate. As a result, winter temperatures weren't too harsh. To save on heating costs, many people kept their homes around 10°C in the winter, which is why characters in American movies are often seen wearing sweaters indoors.

Jiang Hai, however, couldn't stand the cold. His villa had been running underfloor heating 24/7 throughout the winter, keeping the temperature at a constant 24°C. Air conditioning alone wouldn't cut it in such cold weather, so relying on it would be a mistake.

"Wow, your house is so warm!" Cindy exclaimed as she walked inside, her eyes wandering around the villa.

The decor in Jiang Hai's home was tasteful and upscale. While it lacked priceless antiques or unique artifacts, everything in the villa was high-quality and pleasing to the eye.

"Give me your coat, I'll hang it up for you. You can change into these slippers," Jiang Hai said, handing her a pair of brand-new slippers.

Cindy blinked in surprise at the gray slippers. "Men's slippers?"

Jiang Hai shrugged. "Yeah, well… there aren't any women living here."

"Haha, it's fine," Cindy said with a laugh, handing him her coat and putting on the slippers.

Just then, a figure emerged from the kitchen.

"Hey, boss! You're finally back! If you'd been any later, the steak would've gone cold!" the man said with a grin. "And you, little Miss Clive, you're in for a treat tonight! We've got some of the boss's prized beef, and Edward caught a big lobster today!"

Hearing the voice, Jiang Hai didn't even need to look to know who it was.

"Philemon," he said, smiling.

Before he'd left that day, Jiang Hai had asked Mrs. Philemon to prepare dinner. It seemed she had recruited her husband to help out, which only showed how much she valued this meal.