Chapter 44

Actually, it wasn’t a big deal. After Father Jiang passed away, Aunt’s family also received a portion of the inheritance.

They happened to be planning to move back to China for good and had been looking around for a suitable house. With this, there was no need to go through the trouble anymore.

Two villas were transferred to their name, and they chose the one with the location and style they liked. After a bit of tidying up, they moved in.

Both villas were already fully renovated, so they didn’t need much work—just adding some daily necessities, which only took a few days.

So, not long after Father Jiang’s funeral, Aunt’s family moved out of the Jiang residence and officially began their new life in China.

Aunt’s husband quickly found a job, and their son was enrolled in a good school.

Since the villa was in a high-end community, the living experience was great. Their new life was comfortable and stable, except for the occasional phone call from Aunt’s daughter complaining about random things.

But Aunt was someone who was easily content. She had unexpectedly gained so many benefits, and her troublesome daughter had been taken away by her biological mother, saving her from endless complaints. Compared to that, these minor annoyances were nothing.

Everything seemed fine—until they realized that no matter how upscale the community, no matter how wealthy the neighbors, there would always be a few low-quality oddballs.

Unfortunately, bad luck struck.

That evening, while the three of them were taking a walk after dinner, they happened to encounter a neighbor also out walking their dog.

It was a large dog, unleashed. Its owners were a well-dressed, affluent-looking middle-aged couple.

At first, there was no conflict. But Aunt’s son, being a kid, wasn’t walking quietly beside his parents. He was happily skipping ahead, stopping and jumping around.

Then, suddenly, the dog lunged at him!

The scene nearly scared Aunt to death. Fortunately, though they had let their son run ahead, she and her husband had been watching him closely the entire time.

Aunt’s husband reacted quickly, sprinting over in a few steps and kicking the dog away before it could bite the child.

They breathed a sigh of relief—but the dog’s owners were furious. The woman immediately shrieked and started cursing at Aunt’s husband, while the man was just as aggressive, looking ready to throw punches.

It was clear there was no reasoning with them. The man was hostile, and the woman, seeing her dog kicked away, lunged forward trying to scratch Aunt’s husband’s face.

Aunt barely had time to pull her son behind her before the situation escalated into a full-blown fight. She quickly called the police.

Seeing her make the call only made the other woman even angrier. She charged straight at Aunt’s son, screaming that if her dog had been kicked, then their kid should be kicked too—reporting to the police wouldn’t change a thing.

Aunt wasn’t built to physically match the woman, and she was too busy protecting her son. In the struggle, she ended up taking several heavy kicks to her body.

By the time security arrived to separate them, Aunt was badly beaten, while her son—though physically unharmed—was clinging to her and wailing in fear.

By the time Jiang Muti and the others received the news and rushed to the hospital, Aunt had already finished a full-body check-up.

Her son, however, was clearly traumatized, clinging to his mother and wiping his tears. Aunt’s husband sat beside them, silently peeling fruit with his head lowered in guilt.

When Jiang Muti and the others walked in, Aunt’s husband quickly stood up and offered them his seat.

Jiang Muti waved her hand. “Sit down, no need to get up. How’s Aunt?”

Aunt had a noticeable bruise on her face. Smiling made it sting, but she still reassured her niece, “It’s nothing, just some superficial wounds. This is nothing.”

“These past few years, I haven’t had any disputes with anyone, so I’ve gone soft. Back in the day, your mom and I never lost a fight. That fat guy might look sturdy, but I know my limits.”

Her husband, however, said with guilt, “It’s my fault too. I was too focused on my side.”

“Aww, come on, how is this your fault?” Her aunt waved it off. “That guy’s arms were twice the size of yours. The fact that you held him back at all is already impressive. If you had focused on me and let that man get to Haohao, then I really wouldn’t have let you off.”

Seeing that her aunt was still in the mood to joke, Jiang Muti relaxed a little, knowing there was no serious harm done.

“Don’t worry, Aunt. You won’t be dealing with neighbors like that again.”

Her aunt and uncle were taken aback. Then, Jiang Yunjuan added, “There are surveillance cameras on every street in your area. We’ve already collected sufficient evidence. This is a clear case where they are fully responsible for a violent assault. I’ve already instructed the lawyers—there’s no way they’ll continue living there.”

The Jiang family’s legal team was famous for being formidable. Even in disadvantageous situations, they often managed to turn the tables. In this case, where they had an undeniable upper hand, it wouldn’t be surprising if they sued the couple into bankruptcy.

Jiang Muti nodded. “They let their dog roam without a leash. When it attacked someone, kicking it away was self-defense. Then, they had the audacity to attack you. Did they think the road belonged to them?”

Technically, the road did belong to the Jiangs. The entire villa community had been developed by their family.

Those two brash, uncultured upstarts had unknowingly assaulted close relatives of the property developers.

In a community full of wealthy residents, while they might not all be from top-tier elite families, many of them were still powerful figures in their own right.

Those two must have been used to acting arrogantly elsewhere. Even if this hadn’t happened to her aunt’s family, they were bound to run into trouble with another resident sooner or later.

Even the community management got chewed out by the higher-ups for not handling the situation properly. While pets weren’t banned, they should have intervened the moment they noticed someone walking a large dog without a leash.

Her aunt and uncle recovered their emotions fairly quickly, but her younger cousin was still shaken. First, he had been pounced on by a dog, and then he had to watch his mother get beaten up. The whole experience left him looking miserable.

Jiang Yunjuan scooped him up from his aunt’s arms and gave him a gentle pat on the backside. “What’s wrong? Got scared?”

The little boy’s lips quivered, his eyes turning red. But in front of his admired older cousin, he put on a brave face and said, “No way! If Mom hadn’t stopped me, I could’ve used the move I learned from Ultraman last night to send her flying!”

The whole room nearly burst out laughing. Seeing his cousin smile, the little boy panicked. “I mean it! I’m serious! Cousin, don’t you believe me?”

Jiang Yunjuan knew that if he kept laughing, it would seem like he was teasing the kid rather than comforting him.

So he held back, pursed his lips, and nodded solemnly. “Of course, I believe you! You did really well this time. You didn’t make your parents worry. When you grow up, you’ll definitely be able to protect your mom.”

The little boy finally relaxed, but he blushed shyly, clearly pleased.

Then, he eagerly asked, “Cousin, I can still be your assistant, right?”

Jiang Yunjuan chuckled. “Of course! I’ve been saving the position for you. Without you at work, I have to carry everything myself—it’s such a hassle.”

Immediately, the little boy straightened up, his sense of responsibility kicking in. His determined look was so adorable that Jiang Muti nearly laughed out loud.

She nudged her brother’s arm and said, “You know, if Aunt hadn’t stopped him, he’d be running after you right now, all ready to be your child laborer.”

Jiang Yunjuan handed the boy back to his aunt and uncle. Seeing that their son was in better spirits, the couple let out a sigh of relief.

Noticing that the siblings were dressed for going out, they guessed they had been on their way somewhere.

“Good kids, we’re fine now. We’ll be discharged soon, and after resting at home for a couple of days, we’ll be good as new. If you have things to do, go ahead and take care of them.”

Xiao Yifu also nodded. “I just took several calls from the police station and the community. The matter has basically been settled. Next, it’s up to the lawyers. Don’t worry.”

As they were talking, a doctor walked in, ready to explain some post-discharge precautions.

The two siblings instinctively looked over, but the doctor was momentarily stunned upon seeing Jiang Yunjuan. Then, his face lit up with surprise.

“Jiang Yunjuan?” He quickly walked over. “What are you doing here?”

Realizing how silly his question sounded, he added, “Wait, that was dumb. You’re either sick or visiting someone sick, obviously.”

Jiang Yunjuan patted his arm. “Xu Xiao, long time no see. You’re a doctor now.”

Xu Xiao laughed. “Not yet. Still slogging through residency, waiting for the distant day I’ll finally be free. Unlike you—I see your name in the finance section almost every day.”

Then, jokingly, he said, “Tell me, are finance news outlets competing with entertainment gossip now? Are they covering you just because you look good, or has some editor fallen for you?”

Xu Xiao and Jiang Yunjuan had been classmates from middle school to high school. They were close in high school, but after going to different universities, they gradually lost touch.

It had been nearly ** years since they last met.

Jiang Yunjuan smiled helplessly at the teasing. “You’re still as funny as ever. You should consider pediatrics.”

Xu Xiao waved his hands frantically. “No way. That’s a battlefield of little demons. I’m not up for that challenge.”

Then he asked, “Still in touch with any of our high school classmates?”

“Not many,” Jiang Yunjuan replied. From university onward, he had gradually taken on company affairs, staying busy year after year. With the social obligations he couldn’t avoid in his own circle, he had little time to maintain a broad network of old friends.

Unless they were nearby or in similar circles, most of his school friends had long faded from his life.

Xu Xiao sighed. “I figured, you’re always busy. But what about Xiu Jia? Don’t tell me you haven’t contacted her all these years either?”

Jiang Yunjuan smiled but didn’t reply.

Xu Xiao immediately understood. Clicking his tongue, he said, “Man, you’re still as cold and heartless as ever. She was such a beauty—every guy in our year wanted to shove your head down and make you accept her confession. How could you turn her down?”

“And the excuse you gave—‘My little sister is the only girl in my life‘—had everyone rolling their eyes.”

Just as he finished speaking, a stunning young woman—youthful yet strikingly beautiful—hooked her arm around Jiang Yunjuan’s.

She looked up at Xu Xiao and asked, “What’s wrong with that reason?”

Xu Xiao choked on his words.

Jiang Yunjuan said calmly, “This is my sister.”

The doctor reminisced about their high school goddess, Xiu Jia, and her breathtaking beauty. Then he glanced at the young woman before him, whose beauty was no less striking.

After a long pause, he solemnly said, “Uh… you know our country’s policies, right? I have a friend who’s an orthopedic surgeon in Germany. Should I reserve a hospital bed for you in advance?”

Jiang Yunjuan wanted to smack him.

After chatting about random things for a while, they exchanged contact information, reconnecting after years.

As Xu Xiao was about to leave, he said, “There’s a class reunion coming up. You better show up! Xiu Jia’s back in the country, and since you’re still single, maybe you two can see if there’s a spark!”

Jiang Yunjuan smiled. “We’ll see.”

When they left the hospital and returned home, everything was already prepared. The helicopter was on standby, ready to take off as soon as they arrived.

This vacation was just for the four of them—two pairs of siblings, Jiang Yunjuan and Jiang Muti, along with Yun Cheng and Yun Duo. Although everyone tried to convince Old Yun to join them for a few days, he stubbornly insisted on staying behind to watch over the house while they were away.

After a long flight, they finally arrived at Jiang Muti’s private island in the Pacific.

To be honest, Father Jiang never liked consulting his children when making decisions. It wasn’t until Jiang Muti inherited his estate that she got a true sense of his hidden wealth.

For a private island, this one was quite large—it took nearly an hour to drive around the entire perimeter. Even the dense forest in the center was barely explored, despite them being the owners.

Because of its remote location, the island’s scenery remained in its most pristine state. The sand was as fine and white as flour, and the crystal-clear blue ocean had astonishing visibility.

The vast, unbounded sky stretched endlessly, with nothing obstructing the view. Waves rolled onto the shore, completely untouched by pollution.

Everywhere she looked, the island was painted in the purest and clearest colors. No matter which angle she used to snap a photo with her phone, it looked like a perfect, picturesque wallpaper.

Jiang Muti was momentarily dazed as she stepped off the helicopter. She had already adapted to the life of the wealthy—

After all, in her past life, she had come from an affluent background. Daily luxuries were nothing new, and even when she inherited the estate—though its value was hundreds of times greater than her past life’s assets—it had all seemed like mere numbers on paper.

Of course, the sheer wealth had shocked her, but it didn’t feel entirely real.

Not until now.

Standing before the endless stretch of land, taking in the breathtaking paradise that was hers alone, Jiang Muti finally lost her composure. She murmured in disbelief, “I really can’t believe this belongs to me.”

Yun Duo and Yun Cheng had their mouths wide open in shock. Yun Cheng nudged Jiang Muti’s arm. “When you said you inherited an island, I thought you meant one of those tiny islands just a few thousand square meters big.”

Then he turned to Jiang Yunjuan and asked, “Brother Juan, are you sure we can’t register this as a country? Just look at the size of it—what’s the name of the smallest island nation in the world again? We might actually qualify.”

Jiang Yunjuan ignored his nonsense and instead looked down at his sister. “The stars here at night are incredible. Let’s rest for a bit, and later we can grill some food on the terrace.”

Yun Cheng cheered, grabbed his luggage, and dashed into the villa. “Then you’re not allowed to ban us from drinking tonight!”

Although they called it a vacation, they weren’t actually alone on the island.

The servants had already arrived ahead of them, along with food, fresh water, and all kinds of supplies, ready to serve them.

In fact, purchasing such a large island wasn’t the most expensive part—the real challenge was the cost of development.

Since the island was far from the mainland, the only means of transportation were helicopters and yachts. The cost of transporting materials alone was sky-high, not to mention labor and the difficulty of construction.

As soon as Jiang Muti stepped inside, she took a tour around the villa.

The mansion had three floors, with over twenty rooms, plus a living room, kitchen, entertainment rooms, and more—it was by no means a small space.

The accompanying staff consisted of five people: two chefs, one housekeeper, a maintenance specialist, and a sailor responsible for taking them out to sea.

Wanting a peaceful getaway, they had deliberately kept the staff to a minimum.

Jiang Yunjuan suggested that everyone take some time to rest, but they were all still in their teens, full of energy, and too excited about their new surroundings to sit still.

The three of them quickly shed their winter clothes, changed into shorts and t-shirts, and bolted outside before anyone could stop them.

The moment they stepped onto the beach, their shoes went flying. The sand was soft and didn’t hurt their feet—though they did occasionally step on a seashell or two.

The seashells were especially beautiful, and Jiang Muti couldn’t help but pick up a few as she walked along the shore.

Yun Cheng, on the other hand, had no interest in them. He ran straight to the water, took off his shirt, and dove into the sea.

When he resurfaced, he had several sea cucumbers in one hand and a few lobsters of unknown species in the other.

“Hehe! Look at me adding to our dinner tonight!”

But the moment his head popped out of the water, Jiang Yunjuan grabbed him and gave him a good scolding.

“What did I tell you before we came here? You think you can just jump in the water wherever you want? Do you believe I won’t send you straight back right now?”

Yun Cheng scratched his head sheepishly. “I saw that it was the shallow area, I’m not stupid. Of course, I wouldn’t swim out into deep waters. Besides, the sailor is watching over us.”

As he spoke, he waved toward the dark-skinned foreign sailor, even though he hadn’t exchanged a single word with him yet. His survival instincts were clearly strong.

Jiang Yunjuan knew this guy always got carried away and needed a good scolding now and then. But since they were here to have fun, he didn’t want to spoil the mood.

So he simply took off his shirt and jumped into the water with the fool.

Meanwhile, the servants had already set up lounge chairs and sun umbrellas, along with a cooler filled with ice-cold drinks. Whenever they got tired, they could just lie down and enjoy a refreshing drink—it was pure bliss.

Jiang Muti grabbed a bottle of freshly squeezed juice, took a sip, and then noticed her brother taking off his shirt to go into the water as well.

Immediately, she let out a playful wolf whistle.

Jiang Yunjuan and Yun Cheng: “…”

And she wasn’t done yet. “Wow, you two are looking even better! Be careful, or the mermaids living here might snatch you away!”

Jiang Yunjuan and Yun Cheng exchanged a glance—one was a refined elite, the other an enthusiastic goofball. Two entirely different species, yet at this moment, they shared an unusual sense of unity.

They walked straight toward Jiang Muti, pulled her off the lounge chair, hoisted her up, and tossed her into the water.

Jiang Muti knew how to swim—she often took a few laps in the family pool—so she didn’t mind being thrown in.

But then the two of them stood in front of her and smirked. “See? There’s already a mermaid right here. Come catch us!”

Since she was already wet, Jiang Muti simply took off her outerwear, revealing her bikini, and started chasing them along the shore. Yun Duo, having finished her juice, joined in as well.

Unlike before, when the sight of three fit and toned guys had been the main attraction, now Jiang Muti herself had joined the ranks of “eye candy.”

For a while, the entire beach seemed to glow with the presence of these young and beautiful people.

Yun Cheng’s ability to catch sea creatures was so impressive that it made people wonder if he had done this for a living in his past life.

Sea cucumbers, lobsters, crabs, shellfish—those were one thing. But he even caught several fish with his bare hands. No one knew how he managed that.

Wiping seawater from his face, Yun Cheng grinned. “These fish have never seen humans before. They’re dumb as rocks. I just reached out and grabbed them.”

Yun Duo, inspired by her brother, tried to do the same.

A while later, she came out of the water soaking wet, looked at him, and said, “You liar.”

“Really! If you don’t believe me, I’ll catch another one for you.” Saying that, he dove back into the water.

But at this moment, Jiang Muti’s attention was on Yun Duo’s soaked bikini top.

She walked over, touched Yun Duo’s chest, and said, “Hey, you’ve gotten bigger recently.”

Yun Duo looked down, hesitating. “R-Really? But I don’t feel any different.”

“You see yourself every day, so of course you wouldn’t notice.” Jiang Muti squeezed again and confirmed, “Definitely bigger. Haven’t you felt your bras getting tighter lately?”

Yun Duo thought for a moment. “I guess… they have been feeling a little snug.”

Jiang Muti then patted her butt, making Yun Duo glare at her. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, just noticing your curves are getting more defined. Make sure to wear the right size underwear.”

“Got it. You’re coming with me to shop for new ones when we get back.”

“Deal!”

Just then, Yun Cheng burst up from between them, wiping water from his face. “What are you two up to? All I saw in the water was you guys grabbing chests and butts.”

Jiang Muti waved a hand dismissively. “None of your business. We’re discussing development.”

“Hey, hey! Why are you leaving me out?” Yun Cheng protested. “Don’t be sexist!”

Then he smugly added, “When it comes to development, you two are way too slow. I’m training to be an athlete, and I keep strict records of my body stats.”

“I’m telling you, this semester, I’ve gotten even more muscular. If we really compare, neither of you has a bigger chest than me.”

The two girls silently looked at themselves. As tall, slender girls, their body curves were still on the youthful side, not as mature as fully grown women.

Meanwhile, Yun Cheng was tall and well-built, even more so than many adults. Thanks to his regular muscle training, his chest muscles were solid and well-defined. While men and women were obviously built differently, in terms of raw measurements and growth rate…

The two girls immediately felt defeated. Yun Cheng, however, was feeling very pleased with himself—until he got smacked on the back of the head again.

Turning around, he saw Jiang Yunjuan staring at him with a dark expression. “What the hell are you saying in front of the girls?”

It hadn’t even been a few hours, and he had already been scolded twice.

During the day, they had caught a lot of seafood and originally planned to have a barbecue under the stars at night. But unexpectedly, it started to rain.

Their plan had to be postponed until tomorrow. Instead, they had a delicious meal prepared by the chef. It was still tasty, but they couldn’t stop thinking about the barbecue they had planned.

After nearly twenty hours of travel, plus all the fun they had, everyone was exhausted. After dinner, no one suggested any more games, and they all headed back to their rooms to sleep.

It was only the first day, after all. There would be plenty of time later.

The air on the island was fresh, and the climate was warm and humid—exactly the kind of weather Jiang Muti liked. She slept very well that night.

The next morning, when she woke up and saw the clear skies outside, she was in a great mood and decided to make breakfast herself.

Since they were on an island with plenty of fresh seafood, Jiang Muti planned to make seafood porridge.

As she was cooking the rice, the others came downstairs. Seeing her in the kitchen, they laughed, poured themselves drinks, and gathered around the open kitchen to chat with her.

Just then, the loud roar of a helicopter landing echoed from outside.

At first, they thought it was just a supply delivery.

But then they realized—wait, that didn’t make sense. Supplies had already been delivered yesterday. They had only been here one night. What could have possibly run out already?

Putting down their things, they walked out of the villa, only to see someone stepping out of the now-landed helicopter.

It was none other than Ji Feishi, who was supposed to be in the capital.

Jiang Muti was stunned. She had no idea why he was here.

Wait—how did he even find them? How did he get the coordinates for this island?

Before she could process her thoughts, Yun Cheng excitedly ran over and said, “I just sent the coordinates as a joke, but you actually came?”

Oh.

Now Jiang Yunjuan knew exactly which idiot deserved a beating this time. With a dark expression, he silently noted it in his mind.