Bai Yang felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the car, and this continued for three minutes.

Just as he was beginning to feel short of breath, someone timely opened a window for ventilation.

Bai Yang thought Miss Ruan must be a person with delayed reactions, only now realizing that her words had been inappropriate, so she opened the window to divert attention.

However, when Bai Yang looked in the rearview mirror, he saw it was his boss who had opened the window.

They were now on the elevated bridge leading to World Airlines, near the airport and away from the bustling city. The car was moving fast, and the wind rushed in noisily from outside.

Ruan Si Xian immediately raised her hand to cover her forehead.

She had casually tied her hair when leaving home, with two tufts of bangs now blowing messily against her temples. If this continued, she’d arrive at World Airlines looking like she’d parachuted in.

Fortunately, before she could say anything, Fu Ming Yu closed the window himself.

This brief action, Ruan Si Xian interpreted as Fu Ming Yu calming himself down.

That was good. It made her happy.

Ruan Si Xian fixed her hair in the car window’s reflection, tugging at her bangs. Just as she was about to smooth down the last flyaway strand, she met Fu Ming Yu’s gaze in the window.

Fu Ming Yu was watching her.

“You won’t feel comfortable unless you retort?”

Ruan Si Xian wasn’t sure if Fu Ming Yu could see her expression in the window, but she gave what she considered a beautiful eye roll before slowly turning to face him directly.

And she blinked her beautiful eyes.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Fu. I speak my mind too directly, but I meant no harm. You won’t take it to heart, will you?”

After speaking, Ruan Si Xian was shocked at herself. She had unknowingly mastered this white lotus skill after being trained by Fu Ming Yu.

Fu Ming Yu didn’t answer. His gaze fell on her face, examining her bit by bit.

This scrutiny made Ruan Si Xian somewhat nervous.

At this moment, she felt a little regret for confronting Fu Ming Yu so directly. Though it felt good at the moment, there was no telling what obstacles he might put in her way behind her back.

At worst, Fu Ming Yu could slap the contract in her face and shout “You’re fired!” That would at least be a straightforward outcome.

At best, Fu Ming Yu could manipulate things in the dispatch department, mess with her flight assignments, or even tip off air traffic control to always make her plane take off last, wasting several hours of her time.

Ultimately, Ruan Si Xian felt she shouldn’t jeopardize her income.

With these thoughts, Ruan Si Xian’s confrontational energy gradually weakened as she maintained eye contact with Fu Ming Yu, and there was even a hint of evasiveness in her gaze.

This momentary evasion was caught by Fu Ming Yu, who suddenly smiled.

?

He smiled.

Ruan Si Xian was certain what she saw wasn’t a “smile of anger” but rather one that subtly conveyed “you’re interesting.”

What’s wrong with him?

Hello, are you a masochist?

Ruan Si Xian took a big gulp of water, not bothering with him anymore.

Conveniently, the car had reached the main road, less than two hundred meters from World Airlines’ entrance.

“Please stop the car,” Ruan Si Xian said. “I’ll get off here.”

The driver didn’t immediately stop but merely slowed down. In the front seat, Bai Yang, who had been holding his breath until nearly oxygen-deprived, finally found an opportunity to speak: “Miss Ruan? This is the side of the main road.”

“I know. I’ll get off here. There are too many people at the front gate. Let’s avoid suspicion.”

She emphasized the word “suspicion” particularly heavily as if it wasn’t about “suspicion” at all, but rather “disdain.”

Bai Yang wasn’t sure if he had misinterpreted. He turned to look at Fu Ming Yu, who was just looking down, adjusting his sleeve, his expression indifferent, saying, “No need.”

No need?

What’s not needed?

I don’t think we’re at a relationship level where avoiding suspicion is unnecessary.

Without Fu Ming Yu’s approval, the driver naturally wouldn’t stop, so they drove straight into World Airlines’ underground parking lot.

At this moment, Ruan Si Xian realized she had overthought things.

Fu Ming Yu’s parking space wasn’t even in the employee parking area. There was no need to avoid suspicion.

After getting out of the car, Ruan Si Xian lowered her head to straighten her clothes. When she looked up, Fu Ming Yu was already gone.

“?”

Walking so fast—are your legs borrowed and you’re in a hurry to return them?

Fu Ming Yu wasn’t actually in a hurry to return his legs. Upon reaching the 16th floor, he walked straight to his office.

The administrative secretary and assistant, who had been waiting at the door, followed him in. By the time Fu Ming Yu sat down at his desk, the monthly mid-to-long-term flight plans, flight tracking, and dynamic monitoring reports were already placed before him.

Fu Ming Yu picked up the document on top and had just glanced through a couple of pages when his gaze suddenly halted.

The assistant who had compiled this report suddenly tensed, already prepared to call the head of the flight department, but then saw Fu Ming Yu put down the document and look up at the administrative secretary.

“Where are the things I asked you to prepare last night?”

The administrative secretary immediately produced a document as thick as a book and placed it in front of Fu Ming Yu: “Here is your complete travel information for the past two years, including flight details, hotel stays, and specific meeting or event records.”

Seeing such a thick document, Fu Ming Yu rubbed his brow. The administrative secretary added, “It’s already categorized and marked by country and region.”

Fu Ming Yu nodded, “You may leave now.”

Ruan Si Xian waited in the flight department for about half an hour before tomorrow’s crew was all present.

There were only two ACJ31 aircraft assigned to the Jiang City base, so naturally, the corresponding pilots were limited. Including other standby personnel, there were more than ten people who boarded the crew bus together and went through the dedicated channel to the apron.

The moment they stepped off the bus, a strong gust of wind blew across the vast, open apron. The group walked against the wind, positioning themselves under the aircraft wing.

The captains led everyone in a walk-around inspection.

—Actually, there wasn’t much to inspect today; it was mainly about admiring the beauty of the new aircraft.

Afterward, they boarded the plane and entered the cockpit, repeatedly familiarizing themselves with the instrument panel and control board.

These things were already second nature to Ruan Si Xian, but the other captains and first officers had come through conversion training, making them more nervous than a newcomer like Ruan Si Xian. Each person took turns becoming familiar with the systems several times.

By the time they finished, it was already noon. After lunch at the airport, they continued until the afternoon. When all preparation activities concluded, everyone dispersed.

It wasn’t until she returned to World Airlines that Ruan Si Xian came out of her excitement.

Though she had appeared calm, composed, and spoke steadily—embodying all the qualities of the best trainee that everyone wanted to recruit—heaven knows she had been screaming internally.

Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. She would shed her trainee status and officially board the aircraft, beginning her three-and-a-half-month journey as a jumpseat observer.

Of course, this observation period had been reduced based on the World Airlines Flight Department’s consideration of her qualifications and the shortage of pilots.

In just three and a half months, she would be able to sit on the right side of the cockpit, becoming a first officer.

If she performed well enough, perhaps in just two years, she could become a captain.

—This was, of course, part of the conditions World Airlines had discussed with her initially.

Perhaps it was because the wind was too strong today, with dust swirling on the ground, but Ruan Si Xian felt like crying.

If there were a friend beside her now, she would hug them and spin around 360 degrees ten times to express her emotions.

She was so happy that when Yan An texted asking if she wanted to have dinner together tonight, she immediately agreed.

However, a few seconds later, she reconsidered.

What had they just chatted about?

Yan An had asked how things went with the car last night. Ruan Si Xian said it was resolved smoothly and thanked Yan An for his help.

Yan An said it was nothing, but then “casually” asked if she had time for dinner tonight.

No matter how you looked at it, he was deliberately asking her out.

The moment she realized this, Ruan Si Xian felt a twinge of regret. She didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Yan An.

But then again, they were both single, he had good conditions and their personalities seemed compatible—why not get to know each other?

So Ruan Si Xian obediently waited at World Airlines’ entrance for Yan An to pick her up.

A few minutes later, Yan An, who had come from the North Airlines office at the airport, ostentatiously parked his car at the World Airlines entrance. He even got out personally to open the passenger door for Ruan Si Xian, guiding her into the seat.

Fu Ming Yu and Zhu Dong’s car slowly emerged from the parking lot, just in time to witness this harmonious scene.

“Hey, isn’t that Yan An?” Zhu Dong rolled down the window and stuck out half his head. “What kind of tornado blew him here today?”

After a pause, “Oh, a beautiful woman. No wonder.”

Zhu Dong turned back to look at Fu Ming Yu, only to find his gaze fixed on Yan An’s car until it drove far away when Fu Ming Yu finally looked away.

Though he didn’t say anything, Zhu Dong sensed the atmosphere was off.

During their gathering at the estate last afternoon, Zhu Dong remembered Yan An saying he wanted to pursue a female pilot from World Airlines. He had thought it was just a joke, but seeing the back of the woman who got into his car, he could deduce it was that same pilot.

So Fu Ming Yu’s mood made sense.

Though there were no explicit rules, what did it mean for a core route pilot from World Airlines to date a small boss from North Airlines?

If it were Zhu Dong, he wouldn’t be happy either.

But he couldn’t judge, after all, he was in tourism. He had come today to discuss a project with Fu Ming Yu, and in a few days, he would be negotiating a partnership with North Airlines. He couldn’t afford to offend either side, so he naturally steered away from the topic.

“Have you heard that Qin Jia Mu is getting married? The invitation must have arrived, right?” As he spoke, he snorted a couple of times. “This Young Master Qin has good tactics, knowing what his old man is wary of, pushing things to this extent.”

Fu Ming Yu didn’t respond, so Zhu Dong continued talking to himself: “He’s been ignorant and uneducated his whole life, just growing older and wanting to compete with his sister for a piece of the pie, without considering whether he has what it takes.”

“But I didn’t expect him to pull such a move, making a big show of marrying a woman whose father has been to prison and whose mother is still someone’s mistress.”

“If he pushes his face-conscious old man too far, the old man might toss him a piece of fat to make him quiet down.”

“It’s just a pity for that woman, still earnestly believing that Qin Jia Mu is opposing his family for her sake.”

“She should think about what kind of person Qin Jia Mu is. If Chairman Qin firmly refuses to give in, won’t Qin Jia Mu just obediently follow orders? Does he have the means to openly defy Chairman Qin?”

“To think of using a woman like this—this level of cunning isn’t something ordinary people can achieve.”

Zhu Dong considered his words pearls of wisdom. Even if this gossip didn’t spark Fu Ming Yu’s desire for casual conversation, at least it could get him to join in mocking Qin Jia Mu’s pathetic tactics, and the Yan An matter would be forgotten. To his surprise, after several minutes, Fu Ming Yu still hadn’t responded.

Zhu Dong turned to look at him, “I’m talking to you. What are you thinking about?”

Fu Ming Yu shook his head, pushing down the thoughts in his mind.

He casually took out a bottle of mineral water and was about to twist the cap when he remembered something.

He leaned back against the seat, pinching the bridge of his nose, and asked, “What does it mean when a woman has inexplicable hostility toward me?”

What kind of out-of-nowhere question was this?

Zhu Dong leaned over to ask, “Did you offend her?”

Fu Ming Yu lifted his eyelids slightly, “If I had offended her, wouldn’t I know the reason?”

“Oh…” Zhu Dong rubbed his nose. “What kind of hostility?”

What kind of hostility?

Fu Ming Yu felt it wasn’t a big deal. After all, those subtle thoughts were his speculations, and Ruan Si Xian had merely retorted to him a few times.

“Just verbal sparring.”

Hearing this, Zhu Dong roughly understood. He almost didn’t need to think before immediately laughing, “Some girls are just like that—as long as she’s not fighting you, what other reason could there be? She’s into you, trying to get your attention.”

Fu Ming Yu glanced at him, then lowered his gaze in thought. After a few seconds, he shook his head slightly, “She’s not like that.”