The slow-moving car finally tested the little girl's patience. She suddenly leaped up, leaned over the front seat, and started pounding her small fists on the head of a scar-faced burly man sitting in the passenger seat. Frustrated, she grumbled, "This is way too slow! Hey, big guy, if you keep driving at this speed, when are we ever going to reach the airport?"
If Xu Mo were here, he would have been shocked to recognize that the little girl in the car was none other than Tang Guo—the same girl who had been caught stealing chocolate in the security office of Venus Tower not long ago!
The scar-faced burly man, whose head was being repeatedly knocked on, showed no signs of irritation. He remained expressionless and replied in a formal, precise manner, "Miss, it is currently peak travel time. Heavy traffic was expected. However, we accounted for delays in our schedule. Please do not worry."
"The light's turning red! Speed up and go through it! Hey? Why did you stop? Didn't I tell you to run the red light?" Tang Guo turned her head toward the driver, her pink lips pouting higher and higher. "It's just a red light! What's the big deal? A mere 300 yuan fine… Now great, we have to wait another minute! Hmph!"
The middle-aged driver, fully focused on the road, remained silent. Meanwhile, the scar-faced burly man turned and said seriously, "Miss, this is not about money. With the salary Mr. Tang pays us, our priority is ensuring your safety. We will not take unnecessary risks."
"You guys are so annoying! Always using my dad to pressure me! If I had known the traffic would be this bad, I would've just taken a helicopter!" Tang Guo huffed as she slumped back into her seat, pouting.
"I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible, Miss," the scar-faced man replied. "A helicopter is indeed fast, but it attracts too much attention. Before this trip, Mr. Tang specifically instructed us to keep a low profile to avoid any individuals with ill intentions from tracking your movements and creating unnecessary risks. Have you already forgotten the last kidnapping incident?"
His voice was calm, yet there was an invisible pressure behind his words that made Tang Guo uneasy. Her lips moved as if to argue, but in the end, she remained silent. Instead, she vented her frustration by kicking the back of his seat before turning to look out the window without another word.
Watching her forlorn expression through the rearview mirror, the scar-faced man couldn't help but think of his own five-year-old daughter back home. He was rarely around for her, yet compared to Tang Guo, his daughter was undoubtedly much luckier.
Even something as simple as going out and playing had to be strictly planned, timed, and restricted. For a child not even thirteen years old to live under such conditions—it was undeniably cruel.
Although he sympathized with Tang Guo's circumstances, there was nothing he could do. After all, she was the daughter of Tang Baiqiang, the founder of the Tang Corporation—an empire worth tens of billions. As the sole heir, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, enjoying privileges beyond the reach of ordinary children her age. But along with wealth came restrictions, constant surveillance, and lurking dangers. That was simply the price of being born into a powerful family.
"By the way, big guy, what's the itinerary this time?" Tang Guo seemed to resign herself to her fate and, after a long silence, suddenly asked.
"First, we'll take a flight to Yang City, then transfer to another flight to Xianghai City. We'll stay there for three days before flying to Kyoto in Woguo, and four days later, we'll return. As for the specific activities during your stay, Mr. Tang has given you full freedom to decide. However, you must remain within our line of sight at all times," the scar-faced man recalled and answered.
He never recorded these itineraries anywhere—doing so would pose a security risk and could jeopardize the safety of their employer.
"Well… fine then." Tang Guo pulled out her phone and connected to the internet. After a few moments of browsing, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Oriona's concert is happening in Xianghai City? She sings pretty well… Big guy, make sure to get me tickets when we arrive."
The scar-faced man couldn't help but let out a faint smile. The famous singer Oriona was actually an artist under Tang Corporation's music division. As the Tang heiress, Tang Guo could simply make a call to get VIP seats, yet she insisted on going through the proper channels to buy tickets.
Still, he admired this about her—she always followed the rules and never used her status to act recklessly. Compared to other second-generation wealthy brats, she was quite an anomaly.
After mentally noting down her request, the scar-faced man hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss, forgive me for bringing this up again, but I truly believe you should consider hiring a personal assistant or a live-in caretaker—at least a female bodyguard. It's not that we're complaining, but you're a young lady now, not a child anymore. Having a bunch of men follow you around all day isn't exactly ideal."
"I think it's too ideal for you guys!" Tang Guo snapped. "You follow me around for ten hours a day, and I already find it unbearable. If I had someone watching me 24/7—even in the bathroom—I might as well just end it all! Let me guess, my dad asked you to bring this up, right? Tell him to forget it!"
She waved her arms wildly in mock warning, her expression completely unthreatening—almost comical. Perhaps realizing that her protest had little effect, she leaned against the window, adopting a stubborn "let them try" attitude. As long as she didn't agree, no one could force another person into her life.
The car slowly turned off Shenhuo Avenue, merging onto a different road where traffic finally began to clear. With the congestion behind them, the vehicle regained its normal speed.
Bored, Tang Guo gazed out at the crystal-clear sky, letting out a deep sigh. Her eyes grew distant as if lost in thought.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in her line of sight. She froze for a second before abruptly leaping from her seat, pounding on the back of the front seats as she shouted anxiously, "Stop the car! Pull over! I need to get out!"
"But, Miss, aren't you catching a flight?" the driver hesitated.
"I'll go tomorrow! Didn't my dad say I could arrange my own schedule for the week?"
The two men exchanged glances before ultimately stopping by the roadside, unable to resist her persistence.
"Miss, we won't interfere with where you go, but don't forget—Mr. Tang ordered that you must stay within our protection range," the scar-faced man reminded.
"Ugh, so annoying! Fine, you can follow me, but pretend you don't know me! Unless I call for you, don't show yourselves!"
Before the car had even fully stopped, Tang Guo kicked the door open and jumped out, weaving through the crowd as she ran back in the direction she had come from.
Meanwhile, when Xu Mo arrived at the pedestrian bridge on the shopping street, he realized he had come too early. Scanning the crowd, he saw no sign of Lin Yijing.
Just then, his phone rang—it was Lin Yijing. She explained that she was stuck in traffic and would be a bit late, apologizing for the delay. Not wanting to make her feel awkward, Xu Mo casually claimed that he, too, was caught in traffic. They exchanged a few words before he hung up.
With the Chinese New Year less than a week away, the streets were packed with people shopping for the holiday. Stores on both sides of the pedestrian street were pulling out all the stops with endless discounts and promotions, doing everything they could to drain customers' wallets.
Xu Mo had never quite understood this frenzied spending habit, but he didn't mind it either. In a way, it was just another method for people to release the pressures of the entire year.