Chapter 479

John and the others took a deep breath as they recalled their earlier conversation with Frederick. Using serving chopsticks, John placed a slice of bluefin tuna into Jane's bowl. "Don't worry, Jane. We truly see your brother Frederick as family. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have invited him to join us for lunch, right?" Jane, knowing when to ease up, clambered onto the dining chair with her chubby little hands and feet, then threw her arms around John’s neck and planted a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Jane knew it! Jane’s brothers are the best brothers ever!" With that, the tension at the table finally eased a little. Xing Chao approached nervously. "Gentlemen, the crew is about to depart as scheduled. How much longer will you need for lunch? I’ll let everyone know to wait a bit longer." He truly hated being the bad guy, interrupting the Wallace family’s warm mealtime. After all, ever since the production team docked, both guests and crew had been staying in five-star presidential suites and dining on dishes prepared by Michelin-starred chefs—all expenses covered by the Wallace family. Not to mention the tens of millions in sponsorship the Wallace's had poured into the show. At this point, the Wallace Group was their biggest investor. This was... absolutely not someone they could afford to offend! Jane swung her short legs and slid down from the chair. "Uncle Xing, we’re done eating. Let’s go!" Mina also bounded over energetically. "Uncle Xing, where are we heading next?" "Our next stop is the desert," Xing Chao announced enthusiastically. "No way." The moment he finished speaking, Jordan immediately interjected with a stern tone, "The desert is harsh terrible climate, scorching UV rays. Who's going to take responsibility if my little sisters get sunburned or tanned? And what if you run into a sandstorm or some other danger?" Jane's heart swelled with frustration. Waddling over on her short legs, she tugged at Jordan's hand and cooed in her sweet, milky voice, "Brother Jordan~ The desert might be dangerous, but it's also sooo pretty! Jane's never been there before. Please let me go, okay?" Mina draped an arm over Jane's shoulder and thumped her own chest confidently. "Don't worry, Brother Jordan. I’ll protect Jane no harm will come to her!" "Brother Jordan, you should trust Jane’s abilities," Jane mumbled, her tiny head drooping dejectedly. Wallace Jordan’s heart softened instantly, and he nearly gave in until the thought of that brutal desert environment resurfaced. "Relax, Brother Jordan," Frederick chimed in. "The show is streaming live the whole time, and Fuller Corporation is handling the broadcast tech support in the desert. Nothing will go wrong." Jordan shot Frederick a glare, seething internally. 'With your company involved, how the hell am I supposed to relax?' Just moments ago, the four brothers had cornered Frederick into backing out of accompanying Jane for the next episode. Yet here he was, worming his way back in by providing technical support. If he couldn’t follow her on-screen, he’d just lurk behind the scenes. Unbelievable. Finally, John relented and turned to Xing Chao. "How long is this trip supposed to last?" "Ten days, give or take," Xing Chao answered, bracing himself. "Alright." John reached out and ruffled Jane's soft hair. "If you want to go, then go. Big Bro will have a helicopter ready, and I’ll be watching the livestream. The moment you’re in danger, I’ll come get you." Listening to her big brother’s words, Jane suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Was she being too selfish? Just following her whims, joining the show without a second thought, making her brothers worry like this. But the truth was, she really *could* protect herself no matter the situation or environment. Still, she knew no matter how many times she told them, her brothers would only nod along, saying they believed her, while secretly preparing to move heaven and earth to keep her safe. Her delicate, lotus-root-like arms wrapped around her big brother’s leg as she tilted her little face up. "Don’t worry, Big Bro. After this show, I’ll come back and focus on my studies. I won’t make you all worry anymore." John smiled warmly, crouching down to gently tap her tiny nose with his long fingers. "Silly girl. You can go wherever you want. Protecting you is *our* job. If we had to lock you up just to keep you safe, wouldn’t that make us pretty useless?" Jane felt her heart swell just a little with emotion. But the tender moment was shattered in an instant by Mina. Grabbing Jane’s hand, Mina practically dragged her toward the door. "Come on, come on, let’s go! No time to give the brothers a chance to change their minds!" Xing Chao, catching on, quickly stood. "Mr. Wallace, I’ll take my leave now too." Frederick rose as well, clearing his throat. "*Ahem.* I, uh, need to provide technical support for the show’s livestream equipment. So… I’ll be going too. Brothers, take your time… enjoy the meal." The four Wallace brothers exchanged glances. Once again, they’d been outmaneuvered by Frederick. They’d thought forcing him out of the show would keep him from following Jane. But no now the guy had weaseled his way in as *crew.*