Both letters were quite short.
Cen Yemeng wrote:
"Son, after reading your monthly report, your mother is both happy and worried. It's great that you've adapted to your new environment and made new friends. However, don't neglect your studies. Your mother hopes you will remain untainted amidst the mud, pure and unstained by the lotus. Study hard, learn some skills and trades, and don't associate with bad influences. Be safe outside, take good care of yourself, and stay healthy. Mom loves you."
Jiang Ye wrote:
"You little brat, you think you're so cool, don't you! If you dare to mess around like this again, I'll beat your butt into minced meat! I sent you to learn skills and trades, and you learned how to pick up girls and skip school! You were riding an electric scooter with two white girls, crashing through the streets like a troublemaker asking for a beating! If you don't change next month, I'll send someone to hang you up and flog you! Don't think you're out of my reach just because you're on Leng'an Planet, my father's reach is longer than you think!"
After writing, Jiang Ye put the letter into an envelope and sealed it tightly.
"I haven't seen it yet, what did you write?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"Nothing much, just some encouraging words," Jiang Ye replied.
Cen Yemeng gave her husband a suspicious glance. Just as she was about to say something, both of their phones rang simultaneously.
Jiang Ye looked at his phone screen. It was a text message from Isabella, or rather, an invitation.
"Jiang Ye, I'm hosting a birthday party on the 4th of next month. Will you come?"
"The location is my home on Exile Planet, starting at one in the afternoon and lasting until night."
"You can come a few hours early. I'll introduce you to some of the other guests. There will be many socialites and important figures from other planets attending, which might be useful for you."
The message to Cen Yemeng was similar.
Cen Yemeng was surprised, "Why did Old Yi suddenly decide to have a birthday party? She's never hosted one before."
"The birthday party is a pretext; the real purpose is to build a network of connections," Jiang Ye said. "Isabella has a bit of a socialite flair, or perhaps a milder version of a godfather. She's very keen on networking with socialites and powerful individuals, currying favor with the influential."
"She admires strength?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"Who knows? Maybe a little, but not excessively," Jiang Ye recalled. "It's mainly driven by practical interests. Back when she was in Binhai City, she organized a wealthy patrons' club and ran it very successfully, bringing her a lot of logistics business and financial support. Now that she's the planet's leader, I imagine the caliber of guests at this party will be even higher."
"Now that you mention it, I remember. My work focus is usually on Exile Planet, and she's very enthusiastic about visiting and hosting alien leaders. Sometimes she'd spend half an hour on the phone with alien friends in her office," Cen Yemeng said. "So, are we going?"
"Of course, we are. It's only half a day, and it won't cause any inconvenience," Jiang Ye nodded. "She's willing to share her network with us, so we shouldn't disappoint her, right? She also played a part in me being able to connect with Li Nannan, that influential figure."
"Sigh, I used to really dislike attaching myself to others," Cen Yemeng sighed. "And now I find myself doing it every day."
"Disliking attaching yourself to others means you're in a weaker position. It's all about you flattering and pleasing them, so of course, you dislike it," Jiang Ye said. "But if they are the ones flattering you, pleasing you, or if you form alliances with people of similar strength for mutual assistance, would you dislike such relationships?"
"Pah!" Cen Yemeng laughed.
...
On the day of the birthday party.
Jiang Ye arrived on Exile Planet at eight in the morning and was driven by a special car to Isabella's mansion.
Her residence was built in the suburbs of the capital city, with military bases in all four directions.
It was Jiang Ye's first time visiting, and he was stunned by the luxury of the estate.
The outermost layer was a high wall, followed by a bluestone path and small shrubs, then another stone wall. Inside was a super-luxurious, large-scale Chinese garden, with exotic flowers and rare herbs, offering new scenery at every turn, winding streams, and man-made lakes teeming with precious alien fish. There were also many bird nests in the trees, and the birds that resided there were all capable of singing and talking.
Further inside, there was another high wall, followed by a wide lawn and a fresh-water swimming pool. At the very center stood an imposing four-story mansion.
The size of the mansion far exceeded Jiang Ye's home. The glass exterior walls reflected the sunlight. Isabella, wearing slippers, ran out, draped in a sheer white shirt, her black lingerie and voluptuous figure fully visible. It seemed she had just woken up and, upon learning of Jiang Ye's arrival, had thrown on something casual before rushing out.
Having not seen her for a long time, Jiang Ye felt she had become even younger. Her skin was fairer and softer, her legs were completely smooth, and her entire being exuded a sense of vitality.
"Old Jiang! You're here so early!" Isabella beamed, genuinely happy to see Jiang Ye. "I thought you wouldn't arrive until noon. Come in quickly!"
"Didn't you ask me to come early?" Jiang Ye followed her inside. "Your mansion is quite impressive. Must have cost a lot of money."
"It's all money earned from the logistics company; it wasn't that much," Isabella said, hurrying ahead of Jiang Ye to open the door. "In ancient times, some emperors, upon seeing the luxurious homes of wealthy merchants, became jealous and had the merchants killed. You won't do that, will you?"
"Perhaps," Jiang Ye joked. "But on Exile Planet, you are the emperor."
"Oh, please. If I were the emperor, you'd be the Empress Dowager, and I'd have to listen to whatever you said from behind the curtains," Isabella chuckled. "You can look around the house for a bit. There are no secret rooms you can't enter, so feel free to explore. I'll get you some fruit."
"Don't bother, I don't eat," Jiang Ye began to tour the mansion.
"How can that be? You've come all this way, and it's not proper hospitality," Isabella said, then trotted into the kitchen.
Jiang Ye felt a moment of disorientation, suddenly remembering the days he used to go to Isabella's house to mooch meals. During that period, Old Yi's house was his cafeteria; he'd go to eat when it was mealtime and leave without a second thought.
After walking around the mansion, Jiang Ye marveled at the opulence. Isabella's home was indeed luxurious, especially with the many famous paintings from auction houses hanging on the walls, giving it a strong artistic ambiance.
The portrait Jiang Sen had painted for Isabella years ago was hung by her bedside, indicating how much she cherished it.
The rooftop even had a large swimming pool, filled with clear water, its waves reflecting the sunlight.
Jiang Ye sat on a long bench by the pool, overlooking the entire estate's pastoral scenery.
He noticed that Isabella's greenery, when viewed from above, formed a very peculiar shape.
"Feng Shui," Isabella said, carrying a fruit platter and a piece of paper filled with writing, then sat down beside Jiang Ye. "The trees in the courtyard were designed by a Feng Shui master to ward off misfortune and bring good luck."