Chapter 3464

A young woman with a tear-streaked face said: "They're like evil spirits that won't leave us alone—wherever we go, they follow..."

The middle-aged man whispered: "You don't know shit—these people aren't short on money either, and they're richer than us. Coming to the Maldives, they'd definitely pick the most expensive option, which just proves this family actually has some means. Anyway, once we're on the island, we'll each do our own thing, no need to interact with them—just endure this leg of the trip."

The young woman grew somewhat angry, muttering: "All my good mood ruined by them... So annoying..."

The middle-aged man quickly said: "Oh dear, keep your voice down! More trouble than it's worth, don't you get it? This mess is my fault—I should've known better than to provoke them at the airport."

The young woman felt deeply vexed inside. She had thought this would be a dreamlike, wonderful journey, but from the airport lounge onward, Ma Lan had been relentlessly pressing down on her, and even after disembarking, she still felt pressured—this sensation was truly unbearable.

Fortunately, Ma Lan had already mentally looked down on them, so she couldn't be bothered to cause trouble. The two remained silent, which actually worked out fine for peace and quiet.

Ye Chen's family handed over their luggage to the staff and proceeded to the VIP lounge on White Horse Island to rest briefly.

Unexpectedly, a few minutes later, that middle-aged man and young woman entered somewhat awkwardly, accompanied by a private butler—none other than one of the other three staff members.

Their eyes met, and the man deliberately raised his hand to greet Ye Chen, giving an embarrassed chuckle.

Ye Chen nodded slightly and returned the smile.

He didn't really dislike this person—he'd seen plenty of vain, status-obsessed people before. After all, his own in-laws had already reached the pinnacle of such behavior, so observing this man's actions, Ye Chen could only feel understanding.

Ma Lan, seeing the other party politely greet Ye Chen, felt inwardly pleased, believing it was all thanks to her—she had delivered a decisive blow at Jin Ling Airport, sealing the matter with one strike.

Still, she didn't continue targeting them, merely holding her head and chin high, looking down on people, her arrogant expression spread across her entire face.

After waiting about twenty minutes, the butler Hani approached respectfully and said: "Mr. Ye, we can board now."

Ye Chen nodded and asked: "How much longer will the seaplane flight take?"

"About half an hour more," Hani said respectfully. "The straight-line distance is under two hundred kilometers—we'll be there soon."

"Alright." Ye Chen stood up and walked out of the lounge with his family.

The seaplane's takeoff and landing point lies in the sea area parallel to the airport runway. The seaplane is relatively small—smaller than a typical business jet by a margin. After boarding, passengers still need to wear noise-canceling headphones, because the propeller's noise during takeoff and landing is extremely loud, making normal conversation impossible inside the cabin.

After the couple boarded, they sat at the back, with little interaction throughout. The woman wore a sullen, unwilling expression, while the man could only sit beside her, gently holding her hand and rubbing it lightly to soothe her.

The plane accelerated across the water, lifted into the air, and then flew northward toward Malé.

Along the way, they passed many scenic islands, nearly all with similar layouts: aside from large sandy beaches, reefs, and forests, there were also extensive building complexes. The main structures were generally the island's public facilities, while scattered smaller buildings were independent guest villas. Some houses stood in tropical forests along the beach, others extended from the sea surface and were built directly on sea-based reefs.

The plane landed on the water, glided slowly to the dock, and the group disembarked, immediately greeted by the tropical island's sea breeze carrying a faint salty tang.

Ye Chen had booked four nights in the island's finest water villas. After landing, the butler drove a golf cart, transporting the family of four to their accommodation while introducing them to the island's basic situation.

White Horse Island offers extensive facilities: six restaurants alone, plus multiple bars and spas. It provides nearly every conceivable marine entertainment, including various diving activities.

Of course, all these services are separately charged. Even a casual Western meal here costs at least five hundred USD per person, and local Maldivian cuisine is similarly priced. Even a basic essential oil spa massage starts at one to two thousand USD—so the value-for-money ratio can be said to be nearly zero.

Although accommodation prices don't seem excessively high at first glance, once on the island, various expenses become outrageously costly.

However, visitors here are generally very wealthy—hundreds of thousands of USD may be just a number to them—so everyone can afford it.

After the family settled into two separate rooms and rested briefly, Ye Chen began preparing to arrange dinner.

He shared the island's restaurant recommendations in the family WeChat group. Ma Lan was the first to respond: "Let's try the local Maldivian seafood tonight! I've heard the locals prepare it exceptionally well."

"Good."

Ye Chen immediately used the room's phone to contact the butler, asking him to help reserve a table at the local Maldivian-flavored restaurant.

After securing the reservation, the family of four changed into beach-vacation-style T-shirts and shorts, breathed in the sea breeze, and walked from their water villa all the way to the restaurant.

The scenery along the way was breathtaking. Xiao Changkun and Ma Lan almost never put their phones down, constantly taking photos. In contrast, Xiao Churan felt little interest, walking listlessly with small steps, clapping her hands once in front and once behind her—she found it utterly boring.

Ye Chen asked concernedly: "Honey, you seem low-spirited—are you dissatisfied with this environment?"

Xiao Churan forced a smile, shook her head, and said: "Maybe I'm still a bit worn out from the journey—I haven't recovered yet. Plus, my period should be coming soon based on the cycle, so I'm feeling a bit weak."

Ye Chen quickly said: "I have some qi- and blood-nourishing medicine—I'll give you a bit when we get back."

Ye Chen thought: I'll hurry back and prepare some elixirs in water for her to drink. But Xiao Churan slightly shook her head and said: "No need to trouble yourself—I expect I'll feel better after eating and resting a bit."

Ye Chen nodded, but inwardly felt something was off with Xiao Churan, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.

Being not particularly perceptive about emotional matters, he attributed Xiao Churan's state to the antics of Xiao Changkun and Ma Lan, as well as the fatigue from the journey, and thereafter only thought about ordering some delicious food to replenish her strength.

When the family arrived at the Maldivian-themed restaurant, the sunset hung perfectly above the sea, its fiery red light staining the surrounding clouds, sky, and sea—creating a vivid sense of sea and sky as one.

The restaurant wasn't crowded, after all there are six dining venues here, which effectively disperses guests, ensuring no single place becomes too noisy.

The family chose a seat with a view of the sunset and ocean. Ye Chen handed the menu to Xiao Churan and Ma Lan, hoping they'd pick dishes they liked.

At that moment, Xiao Changkun glanced outside the restaurant and couldn't help but exclaim: "Holy shit, that guy's got two wives!"

Ye Chen, Xiao Churan, and Ma Lan instinctively followed his gaze—and sure enough, saw a Middle Eastern-looking man with one woman on each arm, both wearing headscarves. Crucially, both women were visibly pregnant—large bellies made it obvious at a glance.

Ma Lan muttered: "What's the big deal? Aren't they legally allowed to have four wives?"

After speaking, seeing Ye Chen's shocked and bewildered expression, she asked: "Good son-in-law, don't go pondering this stuff! And definitely don't envy them—they live under a different system than ours. Just look and move on!"

Ye Chen snapped back from his shock, gave an embarrassed laugh, and said: "Mom, I'm not envious—this guy is actually one of my friends..."

"A friend?"

The three of them were utterly astonished.

I never expected Ye Chen to still have friends here.

And Ye Chen also confirmed the man's identity again—though he wasn't in military uniform, he was indeed Ye Chen's Syrian warlord friend, Hamid.