The Boeing 747, with its characteristic roar, landed on the runway at JFK International Airport in New York. Inside the cabin, Chen Xingwei, like many of the other girls around her, felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. From the time she had seen the recruitment ad and submitted her resume until now, nearly half a year had passed, and finally, she had arrived in the USA.
This was the paradise many people dreamed of in this era.
Looking down at the city before landing, vast stretches of urban sprawl spread out, just like what she occasionally saw on television—radiating a level of prosperity that was leagues ahead of China. This stark contrast stirred both longing and inevitable unease.
After all, she was now in a foreign land, severed from everything familiar. Even though this job had been painted in the most positive light, who could say for sure what the future held? A sense of wanting to stick together inevitably arose.
When everyone disembarked, Li Youhu's bag got snagged. The jealousy Chen Xingwei had felt toward Li Youhu's sudden opportunities over the past few months faded somewhat, prompting her to offer help. Li Youhu, who was usually proud, accepted with a warm thank-you, and they walked side-by-side out of the cabin. Li Youhu said, "Xingwei, I heard that U.S. customs officials are super strict. Hopefully, we won't have any trouble."
Over time, everyone had grown accustomed to using their new names.
Chen Xingwei, unlike Li Youhu, didn't have a well-connected family that could provide extensive overseas information. She replied, "They shouldn't give us a hard time. After all, we're Mr. Westeros'…well, employees."
"The U.S. is a democratic society; it's not all about connections like back home. Simon can't control customs. I heard from a few friends who were hassled when they arrived. If you look nervous, they might pull you aside for questioning. Some people get sent back home because they don't pass the customs inspection."
The other girls walking through the corridor overheard their conversation and crowded around, all showing worried expressions.
It was said that they could gain citizenship here, but if they got stuck at the final step, it would be a terrible disappointment.
However, the group of over a hundred passed effortlessly through a VIP channel at JFK, and every official they encountered was warm and welcoming, making Li Youhu the subject of good-natured teasing from the other girls.
Chen Qing and Lin Su, who had returned to the USA in advance, personally came to receive them.
This group of 109 people, including staff from the Westeros family, departed the airport in five luxury buses, heading east toward East Hampton on the far end of Long Island.
On one of the buses, Li Youhu, unfazed by the earlier teasing, got wrapped up in some gossip and quietly nudged Chen Xingwei, who was seated beside her. "Did you notice that mother and daughter who got into Miss Chen's car alone?"
Seated by the window, Chen Xingwei had been watching the foreign scenery with curiosity. She looked over and, glancing around, whispered back, "Why are you bringing this up?"
"There's something suspicious about it."
Chen Xingwei feigned ignorance. "Oh?"
Li Youhu elaborated, "The choreographer team who came along with us—her experience might be better than ours, but she's hardly qualified to be an instructor. Besides, other teachers, like Ms. Wang and Ms. Xin, have children, so why is she the only one who can bring her daughter and get such special treatment?"
Before Chen Xingwei could respond, she noticed Ouyang Shuli from the back row peeking over and quickly changed the topic, raising her voice slightly. "Hey, let's not talk about that. Youhu, have you noticed that we're leaving New York City?"
"Are we?"
"Of course! We're heading east." Chen Xingwei took out a map of New York she had prepared, unfolded it, and said, "Look, JFK is here. If we were heading to the city, we'd be going north or west, but we're heading east. We're already on the outskirts of New York."
This new topic piqued the interest of the other girls.
Ouyang Shuli got up slightly, leaning over the seat to look at Chen Xingwei's map and then out the window. "We really are going east."
Sitting beside her, Wei Sanchi looked confused. "Aren't we heading north?"
Ouyang Shuli playfully knocked her on the head. "You wish! You're hopeless with directions."
"You're the one who's lost!" Wei Sanchi shot back, digging a compass out of her bag to double-check. After fumbling around for a bit, she finally confirmed, "Oh…we really are heading east. I think…this is east?"
The others ignored her.
From across the aisle, Jing Xiaoming chimed in, "I heard rich Americans usually live in the suburbs. This isn't out of the ordinary."
Yin Caiwei, seated toward the front, countered, "But we're not rich."
Fumbling with the compass, Wei Sanchi rejoined the conversation, "We're here to serve the rich. Is there anyone wealthier than Mr. Westeros?"
Another girl, Zhu Caiping, added, "Not all rich people live in the suburbs. Have you heard of the Upper East Side in Manhattan? That's where the truly wealthy live."
"Where's the Upper East Side? Is it far from New York?"
"Gu Yaotao, you don't even deserve that nice name. You should just give it to me."
"Su Fengnian, Su Fengnian, Su Fengnian, 'Prosperity for a bountiful year.'"
"Quit it!"
"Oh, come on, let go. We're on the bus, and I'm getting mad."
"Alright, knock it off, you two," Li Youhu, exuding a big-sister vibe, scolded the two girls who were play-fighting. "Wherever they take us is where we'll stay. It's not like they're going to sell us off."
"My mom still thinks I might be getting scammed. She can't believe I found a job that pays $100,000 a year."
"And you still came?"
"If I hadn't met Mr. Westeros last time, I probably wouldn't have dared."
Chatting like this, the bus continued heading east for over two hours. The buildings became more sparse, and the surroundings quieter. Though the scenery was becoming more picturesque, the girls on the buses grew increasingly puzzled.
Would they actually be dropped off in the middle of nowhere?
At last, the bus entered a small town. After winding through tree-lined roads and arriving at a black iron gate guarded on both sides by neatly trimmed holly bushes two meters tall, they finally entered a private estate.
Once the buses passed the gate, the view opened up. They continued down a wide path, eventually stopping near a castle-like, three-story mansion by the seaside.
Waiting there to welcome them were five rows of people, impeccably dressed in white shirts and black trousers or low heels, catching the attention of the girls disembarking from the buses, who felt a bit intimidated. For most, this was the first time seeing so many elegantly dressed foreign women, far outnumbering the small group that had accompanied Simon Westeros before.
Who were these people?
Even though they recognized the women's outfits as the Westeros maid uniforms, it was hard to believe these people were here to serve them.
This was not normal.
Luckily, their guide arrived soon after.
Chen Qing exited a black Mercedes, walked over to a refined woman at the front of the maids, and spoke briefly with her. She then addressed the girls, who had instinctively huddled together like nervous little birds. "These ladies will be your attendants—100 of them. Each of you will be assigned one maid and one guard. Find your respective attendants. Aside from their main duties, they'll also handle all your daily needs. Your luggage arrived ahead of you and has already been placed in your rooms. For today, just rest well. We'll discuss everything else tomorrow."
With her instructions delivered, Chen Qing glanced at the hesitant group of girls and, after giving a slight smirk, turned to join a group of older women.
These were the expert dance instructors Chen Qing had recruited from China.
There were seven in total, not counting one specific mother and daughter. Together with a certain Ms. Liu, these instructors would be responsible for the girls' daily training and choreography creation.
There were other support personnel as well.
For example, the all-female band from the terrace performance in the East Ridge Garden, as well as people in charge of costumes and music. Some would be based in China long-term, while others would arrive with the next group.
For convenience, the seven instructors would live with the girls on the estate.
After exchanging a few words with the instructors and handing off the remaining arrangements to Lin Su, Chen Qing approached the mother and daughter in question. "Ms. Liu, let's get you settled in the car. You'll be staying elsewhere."
Ms. Liu had been gazing at the mansion not far away, and upon hearing this, paused and glanced at the other women being led toward the mansion by Lin Su. She felt a slight jolt of apprehension and asked, "Miss Chen, aren't we staying here?"
"No, you have a separate place. It's a private villa."
Ms. Liu hesitated, reluctant to board the car. "Miss Chen, I don't quite understand."
Chen Qing studied Ms. Liu's beautiful, elegant face and said, "This is Mr. Westeros' arrangement. He has a villa nearby
and hopes you'll stay there."
The implication was clear. Even the little girl beside Ms. Liu, who looked like a porcelain doll, glanced up at her mother, her dark eyes showing more than just innocent curiosity.
Seeing Ms. Liu's hesitation, Chen Qing added, "Ms. Liu, the accommodations there are much nicer. There's a dedicated team to serve you and your daughter, and Mr. Westeros has arranged for a $1 million annual living allowance for both of you."
Ms. Liu's eyes widened. "A million dollars?"
The girl's dark eyes also brightened slightly at the mention of the amount.
"Yes, much more than I get," Chen Qing said candidly. "Lin Su and I each only get $200,000 a year."
Stepping forward, Chen Qing opened the car door herself. "Please, get in, Ms. Liu. Simon is a wonderful person, and you'll see that in time. If there's anything you're uncomfortable with, he won't force it on you. Look at me and Lin Su; we're doing just fine."
With Chen Qing's words and comparisons, along with a bit of encouragement, Ms. Liu's face turned slightly red, but she finally boarded the car with her daughter in tow.
After Chen Qing settled into the passenger seat and the driver started the car, Ms. Liu asked, "What about my job here?"
"Of course, you'll still be working. Having something to do keeps people fulfilled, right? But if you decide you don't want to work, that's fine too. Simon doesn't insist on anything." Chen Qing glanced back at the little girl. "How old is your daughter?"
"She's eight."
"Perfect," Chen Qing nodded, reaching out to pinch the girl's cheek, making her blush and hide her face against her mother's side. Chen Qing continued, "We can get her into a private school here soon. East Hampton has excellent private schools. By the way, Ms. Liu, you may think we're a bit far from the city."
Ms. Liu hesitated, then nodded slightly.
Chen Qing explained, "Well, this area is one of the top-tier affluent neighborhoods in the New York area. Simon isn't the only one with a private villa here; plenty of billionaires, celebrities, and government officials have places here. Most use them as vacation homes, but you can imagine the prestige. See that road? At the end is director Steven Spielberg's estate. You've heard of him, right?"
"Yes."
"Most people wouldn't even come close to affording the estate the girls are staying in. Simon can only do it because, right now, no one in this country—or the world—is richer than him."
As Chen Qing continued her persuasive talk, Ms. Liu began to feel slightly dizzy, and a thought slipped into her mind.
A million dollars.
Previously, she had signed a contract with an annual salary of $100,000 for five years. Just that amount alone had her carefully planning how to spend it, as it was a fortune back in China. Now, it had increased tenfold.
As for…other things…
With Chen Qing and Lin Su's example, it didn't seem like much of an issue. She was single now, after all. And deep down, she'd always known she wasn't as qualified as the other instructors who were university professors.
Chen Qing's words made things suddenly clear.
This was how it was.
And deep down, she wasn't opposed to it. In fact, as long as she could gain U.S. citizenship, even without the $1 million, it would be worth it.
If it weren't for this job, she would have tried other methods to go abroad.
She'd already explored some options.
First, get to the U.S., then find a Chinese-American, or just anyone with U.S. citizenship, to marry and secure a green card. Now, unexpectedly, she had a far better outcome than she ever dreamed—an opportunity to connect with Simon Westeros himself.
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