My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

Shanghai, Hongqiao Airport.

Xia Anmian sat by the window, motionless.

She tilted her head to look at the scenery outside the porthole; she didn't like the weather in Shanghai.

And there's my father in Shanghai.

She would never have come if she hadn't been forced to, because her career required it.

"Miss Xia?"

A voice came from the side, carrying just the right amount of respect and warmth.

Liu Ming stood in the aisle, carrying the silver carry-on suitcase. His suit was still impeccably tailored, his hair was still perfectly styled, and even his tie was perfectly straight.

He wore the standard business smile, the curve of his lips so precise it could be measured with a protractor.

"Is your luggage checked in? Do you need any help?"

"No need." Xia Anmian withdrew her gaze from the porthole, stood up, and took her backpack from the overhead luggage rack. Her movements were swift and decisive, without giving him another glance.

Liu Ming's smile remained unchanged despite the cold rejection.

They walked across the jet bridge one after the other and entered the terminal building.

Xia Anmian walked very fast, so fast that Liu Ming, who was dragging a carry-on suitcase behind her, had to quicken his pace to keep up.

She didn't turn around to look at him, or even glance at him out of the corner of her eye.

This person followed her from Kyoto to Shanghai, from the waiting hall to the plane, and from the plane to the jet bridge, like an indelible plaster, sticking to her back and impossible to get rid of.

She could have refused.

She had made it clear before boarding that "it's not convenient today, I'm with my boyfriend."

But Liu Ming clearly misinterpreted "not very convenient" as "we'll talk when it's convenient," and precisely sat in the seat behind her on the plane.

I don't know if it was a coincidence or if he deliberately changed his flight to the same one.

Xia Anmian had already decided at Kyoto Airport that the first thing she would do after landing in Shanghai was to get rid of this person.

She quickened her pace and walked towards the baggage claim area.

Liu Ming followed behind, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

After walking through a long corridor and taking a downward escalator, they arrived at the baggage claim hall.

Xia Anmian's luggage slid out of the exit.

She spotted the black soft-shell suitcase immediately. It had been pushed to the edge of the roundabout by the crowd and was wedged between two hard-shell suitcases, one red and one blue, slowly turning toward her.

She took two steps forward, about to reach out and take it.

"Miss Xia, I'll do it."

With precise movements, Liu Ming pulled her suitcase out from between the two boxes, lifted it and placed it on the ground, pulled out the handle, and handed it to Xia Anmian.

Xia Anmian glanced at him but did not take the lever.

"I can do it myself." She reached out and grabbed the handle of the suitcase from Liu Ming.

Liu Ming released his grip, smiled, and took a step back.

They walked through the baggage claim area and headed towards the arrivals hall.

The exit was right in front of us, with two glass doors wide open. We could see many people waiting outside, some holding signs, some holding flowers, and some craning their necks to look around.

Xia Anmian walked out with her suitcase, her gaze sweeping over the faces of those who came to pick her up.

Then she stopped walking.

Upon arriving at the lobby, eight uniformed police officers stood in two rows. Through the glass doors, one could see the police badges pinned to their chests and the walkie-talkies hanging from their waists.

These are not ordinary airport security personnel, but real police officers.

But that's not what made her stop.

What made her stop was the person standing in front of the two rows of police officers.

A man in his fifties, wearing a dark gray jacket over a white shirt, without a tie.

His hair was gray, but neatly combed. He had few wrinkles on his face, and his eyes exuded an aura of authority without anger.

He wasn't particularly tall, but standing there, he resembled a deeply rooted tree, unmoved by wind or rain.

Behind him stood two young men in black suits, clearly his entourage, carrying briefcases and walkie-talkies.

Xia Anmian knew this person.

To be precise, she didn't "know" him, but rather had seen his photograph.

In her father's office, there is a group photo of her father and this person standing together, with a landmark building in Shanghai in the background. The two of them are smiling happily, like old friends of many years.

Wang Jianguo, Director of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

Xia Anmian paused for a moment, then resumed her normal pace.

Her face remained expressionless, and the corners of her mouth even held that faint, ambiguous smile she had on the plane.

But her mind raced in that instant.

The head of the Public Security Bureau personally came to the airport to pick her up.

The head of the Public Security Bureau appeared outside the airport arrival hall, with eight police officers standing behind him; the sheer scale of the scene was intimidating enough.

Liu Ming followed behind Xia Anmian, dragging his carry-on suitcase as he walked out, his gaze casually sweeping across the front.

Then he stopped walking.

He saw the two rows of police officers.

He saw the man in his fifties standing in front of the police.

He does business in Shanghai. Although he's not a big shot, he still recognizes the face of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau Chief.

That face, that aura, that official authority that couldn't be concealed even in casual clothes—it's something that ordinary people can't imitate.

Liu Ming's pupils dilated in that instant.

Then, something even more shocking happened.

The moment Wang Jianguo saw Xia Anmian walk out, the serious, imposing expression on his face melted away like ice and snow, replaced by an almost benevolent, smiling look.

He walked quickly toward Xia Anmian, his steps not fast but steady, each step firm and solid, and the two attendants behind him quickly followed.

"Sleep well!"

Wang Jianguo's voice wasn't loud, but it was strong and clear enough to be heard even from a distance of more than ten meters.

Xia Anmian looked at Wang Jianguo walking towards her, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. It wasn't a polite, fake smile, but a genuine smile, the kind of smile one gives when meeting an elder, with a hint of respect.

"Uncle Wang," she nodded slightly, "why did you come in person? Did my father send you?"

"That's right." Wang Jianguo walked up to her, looked her up and down, and his smile deepened.

"Your father called me, saying his daughter was coming to Shanghai and that I absolutely had to come pick her up in person. He even said if I couldn't, he'd take away my position as a department head. Isn't that old geezer unreasonable?"

Xia Anmian smiled but didn't reply.

She knew her father's temper and also knew about his relationship with Wang Jianguo.

These two have been friends for decades, working together at the grassroots level since they were young. Although their careers diverged due to family reasons, and they went down different paths, their friendship has never been broken.

When her father said things like "Take off your hat," it wasn't a threat; it was just a joke between old friends.

But to outsiders, the meaning of this statement is completely different.

The title of Director of the Public Security Bureau is not something that can be easily removed by anyone.

Liu Ming stood behind Xia Anmian, the handle of his carry-on suitcase trembling slightly in his hand.

He recognized Wang Jianguo.

He understood Wang Jianguo's words even better.

"Your father called me and said that his daughter was coming to Shanghai and that I must come to pick her up in person. He also said that if I couldn't pick her up, he would take away my position as a department head."

The Director of the Public Security Bureau came to pick him up personally.

What kind of person is someone who can make the head of the Public Security Bureau say something like "remove his hat"?

Liu Ming dared not think about it.

He remembered what his grandfather had said: "Xia Anmian's 'Xia' is the Xia of the Great Xia Dynasty."

Now it exploded in his mind, each word like a nail, hammering into all his previous doubts and guesses, shattering his self-righteous inferences.

"Anmian, who is this?" Wang Jianguo's gaze passed over Xia Anmian's shoulder and landed on Liu Ming.

That gaze shifted from kind to scrutinizing, and from scrutinizing to the kind of subtle, calculating look commonly used in officialdom—the whole process taking no more than half a second.

"Mr. Liu, he's from our partner company." Xia Anmian's tone was as indifferent as if she were introducing a minor colleague. "He came on the same flight, just passing by."

"Oh, Mr. Liu." Wang Jianguo nodded to Liu Ming with a polite smile, but the warmth of that smile was noticeably lower than when he smiled at Xia Anmian. "Hello."

"Hello, Director Wang!" Liu Ming's voice trembled slightly.

He subconsciously reached out to shake hands, but halfway through, he realized the occasion was inappropriate. His hand froze in mid-air, unsure whether to go forward or back, and finally could only awkwardly withdraw it, wiping it against his trouser seam.

Wang Jianguo didn't notice his embarrassment, or rather, he did notice but didn't care.

He had turned his gaze back to Xia Anmian, his tone returning to its previous kindness: "The car is waiting outside, let's go. Your father is waiting for you at the hotel; he says he has something to talk to you about."

"I'm not going!"

Xia Anmian refused without even thinking.

However, what Wang Jianguo said next made Xia Anmian's pupils shrink slightly.

"Is Anmian about your boyfriend?"

Upon hearing the word "boyfriend," Xia Anmian's delicate body trembled slightly, and the composure on her face vanished instantly.

"You're going to investigate him? Didn't I tell you not to interfere in my private life?"