The other side of the boundless sea of ​​kindness

The convoy slowly drove into the manor halfway up the mountain, its headlights sweeping over the neatly trimmed greenery before finally stopping in front of the main building.

Winnie quickly stepped forward and opened the car door. Chang Miaomiao and Chang Haihe got out of the car one after the other.

The cool night dew brushed against her cheeks, clearing Chang Miaomiao's muddled mind somewhat.

"Please go back to your rooms and rest," Winnie said, her voice still solemn and stern, devoid of any extra emotion.

"Mr. Andy Coles has important business to attend to and will not be meeting with him tonight."

Chang Miaomiao and Chang Haihe exchanged a glance, both seeing a knowing look in each other's eyes—

It seems that Andy Coles's "urgent matter" earlier was not an excuse.

Without asking any further questions, the two followed the waiting servants along the carpeted corridor toward their bedroom.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Andy Coles's study was somber.

A subordinate was bowing his head and reporting in a very low voice: "Sir, our shipment is on its return journey."

"You've been detained by the mercenaries of the great patriarch Andreas. They demand your personal presence for a meeting, or they won't release you."

Andy Colles sat in his office chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk.

His face was so cold it seemed to freeze the air around him, and suppressed anger surged in his eyes.

After a moment, he suddenly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound: "Let's go back."

The subordinate quickly followed, and the two hurried downstairs. Winnie was already waiting at the living room door. Seeing them come out, she bowed slightly and said, "Sir."

"You'll be in full charge of things here for the next few days," Andy Coles instructed rapidly.

His gaze was sharp as a knife. "Keep a close eye on the Chang family father and daughter. Don't let anything go wrong."

“Yes, sir.” Winnie replied in a deep voice, watching Andy Coles and his men disappear into the night, their steps hurried, clearly indicating that the matter was serious.

The living room fell silent instantly, with only the ticking of the wall clock.

Winnie stood there, her gaze calmly fixed on the dark forest outside the window, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her sleeve.

Andy Coles' return will likely be fraught with a tough battle, and the undercurrents within this estate may have only just begun to stir.

The dining room at Winston Manor was warm and inviting, with the light from the crystal chandeliers spilling onto the long table covered with a snow-white tablecloth, making the silver cutlery gleam softly.

Cedric sat in the main seat, his gray hair meticulously combed.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were full of kindness, and her gaze toward her children held an unyielding warmth.

Andreas picked up a bottle of the national liquor with its grand and luxurious packaging—

That was the national liquor that Mu Xiaoji specially prepared for Youyou and Colewellard's wedding, knowing that Cedric had a particular fondness for it.

Considering that Andreas had a good tolerance for alcohol, they prepared extra and gave a lot of it as gifts when he returned home.

He carefully poured a small half-glass of wine into the glass in front of his father, his tone filled with filial piety and admonition:

"Dad, for your health, you can't drink too much. Just a small sip is fine."

Cedric glared at him, but a smile played on his lips: "You've almost finished drinking, haven't you?"

"You just use health as an excuse to stop me from drinking too much," he said, taking a sip of his drink. His tone shifted, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.

"Mu's heart and lung transplant surgery was successful, and it's been almost a year since he went back home, right?"

You said Kate miraculously woke up, have you been in touch? Tell him to remember to come back and visit often when he has time.

Karina, who was holding a piece of seared steak, mumbled a reply upon hearing this:

“Dad, Kate is spinning like a top right now. It’s unlikely you’ll see him.”

He secured the construction project in Kuncheng's new urban area, but the contract has a tight deadline, and he probably won't be able to find the time to return for the next five years.

Cedric shook his head, his tone full of approval: "Kate is a down-to-earth, good girl."

That child seemed extraordinary; he had a tenacious spirit in his conduct and actions, and I liked him from the bottom of my heart.

"Grandpa, if you miss him, I'll show you the sketch I drew."

Alice blinked her big eyes and held up the fork in her hand, which had a piece of mashed potato stuck on it.

Ellen Ruola, still as passionate and outgoing as ever, tilted her head back and downed the glass of red wine, laughing as she echoed:

"Oh dear, that's a wonderful idea! Alice's paintings are much more vivid than photographs."

It's worth noting that Alice's breakthrough drawing technique was actually taught to her by Kate.

Cedric slowly sipped the vegetable soup in front of him, the spoon clinking softly against the porcelain bowl.

Her face betrayed her longing: "But I want to play chess with him; Kate's wisdom is unmatched."

Just as he finished speaking, a sudden, urgent phone call broke the cozy atmosphere in the restaurant.

Andreas frowned, stood up, picked up his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and answered, "Hi?"

After hearing what was said on the other end of the phone, the smile on his face gradually faded.

His brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and finally his face darkened, his voice turning cold instantly: "I'm coming right away."

Tell the brothers not to move without my order; first, get the situation under control.

After saying that, he hung up the phone, picked up his suit jacket from the back of the chair, and said, "Dad, I have to go out for a bit. There's an urgent matter at the company."

Cedric put down his spoon, looked at his son's tense profile, and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

"It's nothing, I'll be back as soon as I'm done," Andreas mumbled.

She walked briskly towards the door, her steps hurried, a stark contrast to her earlier leisurely demeanor.

Cedric cautioned, "Be careful, kid!"

The atmosphere in the restaurant instantly became a little subdued. Cedric stared towards the door.

He sighed softly—this "small matter" was probably not so simple.

The night sky was sparsely dotted with stars, and the helicopter's rotor blades broke the silence with a deep roar.

Andy Colles sat inside the cabin, gazing through the porthole at the endless lights below.

The city's outline was faintly visible in the night, but his thoughts were like tangled threads stirred by the wind, all jumbled together.

The subordinate beside him checked the flight coordinates and whispered, "Boss, we've now arrived over Kunming."

Andy Coles snapped out of his daze, his eyes darkening, and suddenly asked, "Is Kate in Kunming now?"

“Yes, boss,” the subordinate nodded, “I checked before, and the project he’s in charge of is in Kuncheng New District.”

Do you know his address?

"The brothers followed up later in the Goldsmith Bay villa area in the city center."

Andy Coles tapped his fingertips lightly on his knees, and after a moment said, "Go down and take a look."

"Yes."

The helicopter quickly found a secluded open space on the outskirts of the city and landed, the rotor speed gradually slowing down.

As the hatch opened, a damp evening breeze rushed in, and two subordinates appeared.

A black sedan was already waiting nearby, its body gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Andy Coles bent down to get off the helicopter and walked straight to the car.

His men rushed forward to protect the roof of the car. He bent down and sat in the back seat, and the car door slammed shut, shutting out the outside noise.

"Go to the Jinjiang Bay Villa," he ordered casually.

The driver started the car, the tires rolled over the gravel on the ground, and soon merged into the road leading to the city.

Outside the car window, the night view of Kunming grew increasingly vibrant, with neon lights flashing and cars flowing like a river.

But Andy Coles' face remained expressionless, only a subtle, complex emotion lurked deep within his eyes—

He himself couldn't explain his feelings for that person over the years, whether it was persistence or just a fleeting novelty, after this sudden visit.

The car slowly stopped at an intersection not far from the Jinjiangwan Villa. The subordinate turned around and whispered:

"The Song family has deep roots in Kunming. This villa is heavily guarded, with security guards patrolling inside and out."

"Boss, shall we pay a visit in person?"

“No need.” Andy Colles shook his head.

"I'll go in and take a look myself. You all wait here." With that, he opened the car door and got out.

Their figures quickly disappeared into the thick darkness of the night, while their men remained where they were, their eyes warily fixed on the direction of the villa.

The night was as dark as ink, and in the utter silence of the deep night, a tall figure was concealed by the shadows of the trees.

With fingertips gripping the carved patterns on the villa's exterior wall, they silently climbed to the second floor.

He moved forward, hunched over and hugging the wall, his eyes scanning the windows anxiously.

Each step was so light it was almost silent, just to find that outline etched in my heart.

Finally, he stopped in his tracks by the open window facing the backyard—

Warm yellow light spilled through the glass, clearly illuminating the figures of the people inside.

His handsome features remained gentle, though now with a touch more refined elegance; he was exactly as I remembered him.

That irresistible allure still made his heart skip a beat, and his eyes welled up with an irrepressible infatuation.

He gently pushed open the slightly ajar window, his footsteps light, and slowly approached the bedside.

Almost instinctively, he raised his hand, his fingertips hovering in mid-air, as if he wanted to touch those familiar eyes and brows.

The little white horse, Saint Snow, lying on the sofa, suddenly raised its head alertly, its beady black eyes looking at Andy Coles.

The unusual disturbance startled it, causing it to let out a sharp screech, jump off the sofa, and run quickly to the bedside.

Andy Coles was startled by the sudden commotion.

Afraid of disturbing the people inside, she turned and ran quickly toward the balcony, disappearing into the shadow of the railing.

Jiang Chengyu was awakened by Shengxue's hissing and sat up abruptly in bed.

I rubbed my eyes and went to the balcony, where I saw Shengxue pacing anxiously by the railing, occasionally raising her neck and neighing.

He reached out and gently stroked Shengxue's neck, murmuring in confusion, "Shengxue, what's wrong? Are you hungry?"

As he spoke, he turned around, picked up a small dish of dried radish from the coffee table, and offered it to Shengxue's lips.

Shengxue had no appetite; she just kept shaking her head toward the outside of the railing, as if she were gesturing to something.

Andy Coles lay motionless in the shade of the balcony, holding his breath and listening to the sounds behind him.

Jiang Chengyu's fingertips brushed against Shengxue's mane, and a barely audible sigh drifted into his ears.

Jiang Chengyu fed Shengxue a couple of bites, then turned and leaned against the railing, gazing at the dazzling neon lights in the distance. After a moment of silence, he took out his phone from his pajama pocket.

The screen lit up, and he opened his WeChat chat with Mu Xiaoji. The latest message was from six months ago.

The words "Take care of yourself" stood out clearly in the night.

His fingertip hovered over the screen; he missed his little Ji so much, but in the end, he didn't type a single word.

He simply put his phone back in his pocket, gazed at the night outside the window, and a faint sense of melancholy lingered in his eyes.

Andy Colles, watching his forlorn profile from the shadows, felt a slight sting in his heart.

The complex emotions that had been building up inside him surged up, making him momentarily forget what to do.

The night breeze swept across the balcony, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, as well as a silent stalemate.