Flash Marriage: The Domineering Wife Chapter 444 The hike

Edward nonchalantly took another bite of the bread roll he had chosen.

"What about your sisters? Are any of them already taken?"

"Why? Do you intend to add them to your collection of conquests too?"

Edward let out a laugh. "The only one among you I might have been remotely interested in has a child that bears a striking resemblance to her."

Although Su understood the implication behind Edward's words, she pretended not to.

"No way! You have feelings for Mai?" She covered her mouth dramatically, feigning astonishment.

"Mai has a baby?"

Su nodded vigorously.

"Well, I never would have guessed," Edward chuckled. "And the baby is still alive?" He found it hard to believe that the stoic Su could manage to woo a man long enough to have a child who would actually survive a single day under her care.

"What on earth are you implying?" Su retorted with a laugh. "Of course the babies are alive."

Edward nearly sputtered on his soup. "What?"

"She has three children," Su revealed, then added, further astonishing Edward, "Mai is the only one of us who is actually married."

"Incredible," was all he could manage. Life certainly held its surprises. Mai the bull (a private nickname he had bestowed upon her) was married? Unbelievable.

"What about Chapa?" Edward mused, fearing he might faint if he heard she also had a child. He hadn't even been sure she possessed female anatomy during their childhood.

Su chuckled. "Chapa has always been rather reserved and she hardly ever leaves the house unless we practically drag her out. She's practically going to marry my parents."

Hmm.

"What are your plans for the day?"

He actually had no concrete plans. Given that he was under close surveillance, he needed to be careful about the locations he frequented before the party.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, my sisters and I are planning a hiking excursion."

Edward burst into laughter. "Ladies going hiking before a party? Are you trying to fit into your dress or something? I would have assumed a trip to the spa would be more likely."

"Very amusing," Su responded with a scoff, tossing a shrimp at Edward. "We are all in excellent physical condition, and besides, the spa visit is scheduled for later."

They exchanged glances and shared a smile.

The meal continued with lighthearted conversation. Edward posed simple questions, hoping to discern whether this hiking trip he had reluctantly agreed to join was part of a larger scheme. He suspected it was.

They likely intended to extract as much information from him as possible. However, he believed Tai Pin had sent the wrong people for the job.

He would never divulge any secrets to his daughters, even if they were all perfectly innocent. They would undoubtedly find a way to mock him relentlessly and make his remaining life unbearable.

At precisely half past eleven, having spent nearly three hours in the room, Su Ya rose to depart.

"Well, after that meal, I might just find myself pregnant again."

Edward chuckled. "For your own sake, I sincerely hope that's not the case."

He escorted her to the door.

"Thank you for stopping by. It was a genuine pleasure."

"You're not quite done with me yet. I'll be by to pick you up at one."

Edward nodded in agreement. He watched her step into the elevator before securing his door. He realized he possessed no attire suitable for hiking, let alone appropriate footwear. He promptly made a call to Viktor.

"I'm going hiking with Tai Pin's daughters."

That was the entirety of his message before he terminated the call. If he had adequately trained Viktor, his subordinate would undoubtedly understand the necessary course of action.

***

The clothing arrived shortly before one o'clock, accompanied by tracking devices that Edward was instructed to attach to the women's attire. They were to be monitored throughout the excursion.

He had just finished dressing when the telephone rang, a call from the front desk.

"Hey woman," it was Su Ya, her voice crisp. "Get your female self down here immediately."

He was about to retort that he indeed did not possess a female posterior, but she had already ended the call.

Edward slipped his phone and wallet into his pocket before making his way to the lobby. He was met by Su near the hotel entrance, and she led him to a waiting jeep where Mai and her sister Chapa were already present.

"Look who I managed to dig up, ladies," Su called out to her sisters, who both glanced in his direction.

Mai narrowed her eyes. "So this is the 'treasure' you mentioned we had to pick up first."

"Well, it's a treasure for me because you both owe me five hundred each."

"No, we don't. You clearly cheated. The party hasn't even begun yet," Chapa interjected, speaking for the first time.

"We never specified when the interaction had to take place. Pay up, losers."

Chapa rolled her eyes, while Mai merely scowled. She scrutinized Edward with an expression of utter disdain, making the man wonder how she ever intended to win their bet if she couldn't even tolerate his presence.

"Still holding onto that grudge, Mai?"

The woman let out a dry chuckle. "You can't hold onto something that never existed in the first place. Get in the car, woman."

Edward laughed. There was definitely still some lingering resentment. Mai had harbored a crush on him, a fact Edward had discovered after his kiss with Su Ya.

Her affections were precisely the reason Su had kept him on a leash. She had been provoking Mai, who hadn't looked at Edward the same way since that fated day.

Yet, he couldn't have cared less. He had always viewed his elder sister as an overbearing bully, someone who should have been born a boy.

While he settled into the backseat with Chapa, Su Ya slipped behind the wheel and they sped off towards the trail.

The first person Edward managed to plant the chip on was Chapa, as she was the closest to him and the least likely to be attracted to him. She kept her eyes fixed on the road as Su drove at an alarming pace.

"Try not to get us killed, Su," Mai cautioned her.

"Sure!"

The rest of the journey was silent until Su brought the car to a halt at the edge of a secluded trail.

"We've arrived."

She switched off the engine, and they all alighted from the vehicle. Led by Su, they ventured into the forest, walking in a single file.

For the initial minutes of their trek, an unyielding silence prevailed. It was broken when Mai inquired about Edward's life in Beijing.

"What's it like being a top-tier guy?"

Edward offered a shrug. "Normal, I suppose."

"What a cocky response."

"I wasn't attempting to be."

"That's exactly the point. You don't even need to try; the arrogance is inherent."

"Do you have an issue with me?"

"I don't know, do you?"