My Manor

"Hiss..." A strange sensation invaded Jiang Hai's mind. Though he had been sleeping, his eyes snapped open. He glanced around, finding Darlene, Marianne, and the others still sleeping beside him, just as they had the night before. But when his gaze dropped, he saw that Aphra had woken up at some point and was playing with something, her focus entirely on it. Upon noticing Jiang Hai stir, she smiled awkwardly.

"What... are you doing?" Jiang Hai asked, staring at Aphra in shock. Without thinking, he instinctively recoiled, hastily pulling up his pants, which had been pulled down. But then, remembering the other girls around him, he lowered his voice and looked at Aphra with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"What am I doing?" Aphra's face flushed, but rather than getting shy, she gathered her courage and crawled toward him. Jiang Hai hadn't noticed that she had taken off her coat sometime during the night. Now, she was wearing only a vest, which clung tightly to her ample chest, creating a deep cleavage. Her slim waist and legs were barely covered by a small pair of pants. The way she crawled toward him was undeniably alluring, not to mention that they had just been in close contact.

"You can't do this..." Jiang Hai said weakly, still watching as Aphra continued her advance.

"I know, but I just can't control myself," Aphra admitted, her voice filled with determination. "I'm willing to give you everything I have. I don't need a title, nor do I want to be your wife or your lover. I just... want to be yours. Whenever you need me, I'll be here."

Jiang Hai, his face flushed with hesitation, retreated slightly. After the events of the previous day, Aphra had come to terms with her feelings and was now determined to take the initiative, closing the distance between them.

"No... there are others," Jiang Hai stammered, his voice low as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"It doesn't matter," Aphra replied, her voice calm but resolute. "Maybe you feel conflicted, but everyone here, including Darlene and Marianne, feels the same way. You don't need to worry about it, and I won't either."

Just then, a sleepy voice broke the tension.

"Um... Sister Aphra, what are you doing?" Darlene, startled by Aphra's loud words, opened her eyes and asked curiously.

Aphra froze, and Jiang Hai quickly reacted, jumping out of bed and hastily replying, "Uh, I'm just going to the bathroom."

Darlene, still half-asleep, blinked in confusion as Jiang Hai hurried out. Aphra, watching him leave, couldn't help but curl her lips. If she hadn't succeeded this time, who knew when the next chance would come? She was sure Jiang Hai was interested in her, but for some reason, he hadn't acted on it. She found this both relieving and frustrating.

She felt relieved because Jiang Hai clearly valued her enough not to rush things. But deep down, she wished he would act more boldly, even if it meant risking hurting her.

The sound of Jiang Hai showering in the bathroom soon roused the other girls. After a good night's rest, they were feeling much better. Once Jiang Hai emerged, they took turns using the bathroom before heading downstairs for breakfast.

Afra and the others had suggested cancelling their separate rooms and staying with Jiang Hai, but he refused. "One night is fine, but every night like this?" he thought. "That's too much." So, with Jiang Hai's insistence, everyone returned to their respective rooms.

As breakfast drew to a close, Moses Adams yawningly walked downstairs. Jiang Hai had slept soundly the night before, but in reality, he hadn't gotten much rest. During the first half of the night, Justin Parker's bounty had been taken by someone else, and in the second half, Qin Feng's bounty had followed. This meant both of them were out of the picture.

Jiang Hai wasn't particularly concerned about the lost bounties—thirty million was gone, but that was it. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to kill those two. He hadn't done it himself, but at least they were dead now. That was a relief. He could move on and focus on other things.

After another day of rest, Jiang Hai remembered his promise to Darlene and the others. The following day, they boarded a minibus he had rented and drove to Orlando.

Orlando is a name familiar to many in China, mainly due to the Orlando Magic basketball team. Back in the NBA's early days, Shaquille O'Neal played as the team's center. Later, Yao Ming took over, and eventually, the Orlando Magic's center position was held by Huo Zhongcheng, though his loyalty was later called into question. Despite its NBA fame, Orlando is not a particularly star-studded city due to its small size.

Orlando is a central city in Florida, located in a swamp, with a population of only 220,000. In China, even some smaller towns boast more people than this city. However, Orlando is still one of the more notable places in Florida. It serves as the county seat of Orange County, which is aptly named due to its association with citrus production. It is one of the largest citrus distribution centers in the United States, and its oranges are quite well-known.

Many of the oranges imported into China, such as blood oranges, come from here. Despite being more expensive, the oranges from Orlando are regarded as some of the best in the world.

Although small and not a major tourist hub, Orlando is home to the world's largest Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sea World, the Kennedy Space Center, and the Magical World of Harry Potter. So, despite its size, it's packed with things to see and do.

Jiang Hai didn't check out of his room in Miami, as it wasn't a big deal. Money wasn't an issue, and he wanted to enjoy himself. He rented another five-star hotel in Orlando and, after spending a day exploring downtown, took the group to Disneyland the next day.

Disneyland in Orlando, opened in 1971 with an investment of 400 million US dollars, spans 124 square kilometers. It features four large theme parks—Disney Future, Disney Animal Kingdom, Disney Hollywood Studios, and Disney Magic Kingdom—along with water parks, resort hotels, and camping sites. It's undeniably a massive complex.

The group had originally planned to spend just one day there, but they managed to visit only one theme park in that time. So, after some deliberation, they checked out of their Orlando hotel and stayed at Disney's own accommodations instead.

They spent three full days at the park, and though they had barely scratched the surface, it was enough for them to feel satisfied. Afterward, they visited the Magical World of Harry Potter, a small but immersive theme park by Warner Bros. and Universal Studios, offering attractions like Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village.

Having already visited Disney, they didn't linger long, and the next stop was the Kennedy Space Center. It's a historic site where space shuttle launches are staged, and they were lucky enough to witness a shuttle launch the following day. Jiang Hai couldn't help but be awestruck by the spectacle. Though it wasn't a Chinese launch, the sight of humanity reaching for the stars made him reflect on the mysteries of the universe and how quickly technology was advancing. It seemed that his pace, too, needed to quicken.