Victor Morgan hadn't just arranged for his personal driver to pick up Jessie Sterling; he had also sent the car he used for his own daily commute.
As she walked out of the airport, Jessie Sterling spotted a middle-aged man at the exit holding a sign with her name on it.
Jessie Sterling: "..."
'She was certain now. Not even her own parents would arrange such a... 'veteran official' style airport pickup.'
Victor Morgan's personal car was a black Maybach. While not the most high-end luxury vehicle, its license plate looked extraordinary—five eights, a number that was notoriously difficult to obtain in Aethelburg.
After getting into the car, Jessie Sterling took out her phone and sent a message to Victor Morgan.
What Victor Morgan did today had, in a way, done her a big favor.
Jessie Sterling couldn't help but smile when she remembered the look on Julian Grant's face as they parted ways earlier.
Sitting in the back seat, Jessie Sterling took a bottle of mineral water from the mini-fridge. After twisting it open and taking a sip, she tapped the screen in front of her.
The route planned by the driver was displayed on it, allowing her to see clearly which direction they were heading after leaving the airport.
Just as Jessie Sterling was looking at the route map, her phone chimed.
She glanced down. It was a message from Victor Morgan.
Victor Morgan had sent out his usual driver and car today. If Jessie Sterling were to look back right now, she would even see a bodyguard car following them.
Victor was now texting Jessie to let her know he had prepared a sightseeing guide for Aethelburg and uploaded it to the car's system. She could access it from the back seat at any time. He also added that he would come to pick her up for lunch.
Jessie Sterling tapped the screen in front of her. Sure enough, a notification popped up on the side. She tapped it, and the map before her transformed.
Along the current route the driver was taking her to their new home, she could see several tourist attractions that Victor Morgan had marked.
She tapped on one to take a look. The must-see sights at each attraction were all listed out and numbered—one, two, three, four—in a perfectly clear and organized fashion.
Methodical, yet a bit stiff and serious. It was a perfect match for Victor Morgan's style.
"Huh?" Jessie Sterling couldn't help but exclaim when she saw the destination of their route. "Uncle Carter, are we going to the Forbidden City?"
Jessie Sterling knew that Victor Morgan's personal driver, the one driving her today, was named Carter. He had worked for the Morgan family for nearly a decade and was very reliable.
Uncle Carter said cheerfully, "The Young Madam's new home is right next to the Forbidden City."
'Young Madam...'
Jessie Sterling, who had been leaning forward, snapped back against her seat upon hearing those two words.
Her whole body suddenly felt flushed. Jessie Sterling almost wondered if she'd accidentally hit the seat warmer button...
After a moment of her ears burning, Jessie Sterling asked, a little dazed, "Next to the Forbidden City?" Even though she hadn't traveled much on the mainland, she knew the Forbidden City was a tourist attraction. "Can people live there?" she asked in surprise.
Uncle Carter nodded. "Yes. There are hutongs all around. The Young Madam and Young Master's new home is in one of the hutong alleys."
Jessie Sterling thought for a moment, then quickly bent her head to send a message to Lynn Jennings.
[Jessie Sterling: Oh my god, you will not believe this. That old stick-in-the-mud Victor Morgan actually lives next to the Forbidden City. If I hadn't already met him in person, I'd suspect my dad had sold me off to some old geezer.]
[Lynn Jennings: ... Shouldn't a normal person's first thought be about how that house is probably worth over a billion?]
[Jessie Sterling: Oh, am I that kind of shallow person?]
[Lynn Jennings: Then tell me, my oh-so-profound young lady, would you be willing to live in a pigeon coop?]
The young lady, who had never once lived in a "pigeon coop," suddenly shivered. Of course, she wouldn't be willing.
[Jessie Sterling: ...Lynn Jennings, I'm breaking up with you for five minutes!]
Lynn Jennings: "..."
'What a child. Who had time for her silly little game of "breaking up for five minutes"?'
With a soft chuckle, Lynn Jennings lifted the strong arm resting on her waist. She pulled up the spaghetti strap that had slipped down to her bicep and was about to sit up in bed.
But just then, a hot, muscular body pressed against her from behind, trapping her completely in a firm embrace.
"Sweetheart..." Hot breath ghosted across Lynn Jennings's ear. "Where are you going?"
In the height of summer, the century-old plane trees lining both sides of the hutong were lush and vibrant. As the black Maybach neared the hutong district by the Forbidden City, that burst of vigorous green life streamed in through the windows.
Jessie Sterling gazed curiously out the window. The wider hutongs had two-way, two-lane roads, but even so, the street would be considered narrow anywhere else. There were no designated bike lanes, and since the area bordered a tourist hotspot, it was full of beautiful scenery and old architecture. As a result, plenty of people were cycling through or stopping in the middle of the road to take photos.
'Jessie couldn't help but wonder if her own, somewhat... casual driving skills would ever allow her to go for a joyride here on her own.'
Both sides of the road were lined with the dark gray walls of historic siheyuan, which looked exceptionally quaint and exuded an ancient charm.
"Is it always this crowded?" Jessie asked. Before this, she could hardly imagine living in such a lively place.
The Sterling family's estate in Southaven was more like a private manor.
The entire compound covered a vast area with very few residences and was far from the bustling city. They even had a small golf course on their property.
Sitting in the front, Uncle Carter replied, "The Forbidden City is a popular tourist destination year-round. The daily foot traffic is huge, so the surrounding hutongs are always full of people. It's very lively."
Jessie Sterling pursed her lips. She was suddenly a little worried it might be too noisy.
Soon, Uncle Carter drove up to a garage entrance.
The garage door slowly rolled open, and Jessie Sterling stared curiously at the entryway behind it.
There were stone carvings above the entryway, and the walls themselves were covered in bas-relief sculptures. It all had an incredibly refined feel.
It was a very traditional Chinese style, the likes of which she had never seen in her own home.
Down below was the new home's garage, which had about thirty parking spaces.
When Uncle Carter escorted Jessie Sterling to the elevator, he pointed to the parking spaces on the left. "Young Madam," he began, "these are the cars the Young Master has prepared for your use. If you ever need one, you can contact the household manager, who will arrange for a driver."
He himself usually stayed by Victor Morgan's side.
Jessie had just been marveling to herself that the cars on the left were mostly sports cars, and their colors were bright and flashy—not at all low-key.
'So Victor Morgan wasn't so old-fashioned after all?'
But now, hearing Uncle Carter's explanation, Jessie Sterling blinked.
'They were all for her?'