Chapter 72: The Spring Festival
Shanghai was decorated with red lanterns and banners, the streets were filled with people shopping for new clothes and food. There are also many cultural events and performances taking place, such as shows featuring traditional Chinese music, dance, and comedy. The streets were so crowded that there was so space for the car to move any further.
’’Boss, it’s hard for us to get further inside...’’
"Take the other route.’’
Daisy noticed that only two of Ryle’s elite bodyguards were following him this time around. As Dexter, she had taken a few days off in advance when she planned to coming to Beijing and she was glad that he had agreed to her request at that time. Back then, she had no idea that he was going to come to Beijing as well. If he made her tag along with him, then as Dexter, she would have the responsibility to follow him like a shadow, eating up her time with her little girl... who seemed not so hers anymore.
The corner of her Daisy’s eyebrow twitched as she glanced at the little girl who was enjoying her seat on Ryle’s lap. A cute pink baby bib was tucked near the collar of her tiny white dress and there was a folding table fixated near Ryle’s arm. Another big-sized bib was tucked near the collar of Ryle’s shirt.
On the table, there was a round box of strawberries. Every minute, Angel would pick a strawberry greedily, bring it to her mouth but only be able to take a small bite from the end. With a small reluctant sucking on the smaller end of the strawberry, she will then proceed to bring her tiny hand close to Ryle’s mouth who will open his mouth wide and eat the whole strawberry unhesitatingly.
That was the scene that Daisy had been witnessed since they left the hotel. At first, she found it amusing how they got together so well and somehow... cute and heartwarming as well. But with the passing minutes when Angel did not offer a single strawberry to her, Daisy felt like the unwanted member in the car.
As if she could hear her thoughts, the little girl looked at her mother with innocent doe eyes.
Daisy looked right back at the little girl with a gaze that translated to ’Don’t seek for anything from me at night’.
Little Angel blinked and turned her head away, leaning into Ryle’s broad chest as she swung her little legs back and forth, seemingly unafraid of her mother in the slightest.
Daisy realized for the first time why Diana gave the little girl the label of being ’little traitor’.
’’Boss, this is the furthest we can go...’’ the car was pulled up on the side of a busy street.
Both the bodyguards who had accompanied them were occupying the driver’s seat and the shotgun seat while Ryle, her and Angel took the passenger seat. The ride from the hotel to this play had not been that long but the there was such a huge crowd at the entrance that it took them an hour to get the car past it.
’’Why are we here?" Daisy had intended to not start an unnecessary conversation with Ryle but at this point, she could not help but question the man. He did not prefer to go to such crowded places.
’’We are here to read books,’’ Ryle remarked as he alighted the car with Angel in his arms. He walked around the car and opened the door for Daisy who was still sitting inside, bewildered by his statement.
"You want to read books in the fair of the Spring Festival?"
’’There goes my faith in your intellect,’’ Ryle shook his head at her.
Daisy looked at the man coldly.
’’Babe, have you ever seen anyone reading books at a fair like this?"
’’Yes,’’ Daisy nodded in a daze for a moment before it dawned on her, ’’Address me properly.’’
’’Sweetheart, people might be doing that but I don’t think you pegged me for a sincere nerd.’’
’’Don’t,’’ Daisy frowned.
’’Don’t what?"
’’Address me properly.’’
’’Alright, princess."
Daisy’s face turned darker than the bottom of a pot.
Ryle suppressed the smile on his face.
"Boss.’’
The bodyguards politely greeted Ryle once they parked the car and assumed their position behind the man.
Ryle nodded, ’’Both of you, stay here.’’
Coincidentally, Daisy happened to turn around right at that instant hence she saw how their faces fell when they heard Ryle’s commands.
One of them opened his mouth to say something but the other held his hand and shook his head.
’’What are we doing here?" Daisy could not help but ask as she observed the various activities going on in the fair. It was Chinese New Year hence the arrangements were extravagant and the place was decorated to the nines.
But if not for the fact that she was not in Dexter’s disguise, it would not have taken her two minutes to conclude that Ryle had brought her here for some mission.
"We are here to attend a ball,’’ Ryle lowered his head to speak beside her ear.
Daisy frowned. A ball? "Have you lost it?" Why would there be a ball in a place like this?
As she turned to look at him, she saw that sly look on his face that told her he was being sarcastic. First, he said he they were there to read books and now a ball and she fell for it both the times.
But Daisy did not blame herself for it. She did not think a man like Ryle would do anything without an purpose. If he said that he brought her here to this fair with some purpose, then she would find it easier to trust him on that compared to if he told her that they were just out to see the fair.
’’Since we are not going back anytime soon, I thought we might as well come out to enjoy the Spring Festival,’’ Ryle said when she fell silent.
Angel gasped as a shadow crossed them. Startled, the little girl clung to Ryle with a drop of tear hanging from the corner of her eyes.
