After dismissing Bai Yang, Ruan Sixian turned to look at Jiang Ziyue.

“What were you saying about Director Fu just now?”

Jiang Ziyue was also quite confused about the current situation.

She noticed Ruan Sixian’s lips carrying a faint smile, and her voice was gentle and soft as if the person she had just casually dismissed wasn’t her boss but some random passerby.

“No-nothing,” she stammered.

Several flight attendants were urging them to hurry up. Ruan Sixian didn’t ask any further and walked forward with a smile.

Seeing that Jiang Ziyue hadn’t followed, she turned back and waited two steps. “Hurry up, Sister Jiang.”

Jiang Ziyue had been forcing a smile all day until her face was nearly stiff and still had to perform an act of harmonious coworkers with Ruan Sixian. It was truly exhausting.

She even wished that Ruan Sixian would confront her aggressively, questioning why she had spread rumors despite knowing the truth back then.

At least she had prepared excuses, and it wouldn’t be impossible to casually shift the blame onto several colleagues who had already resigned.

Yet Ruan Sixian was pretending not to care, occasionally showing a meaningful smile and throwing a soft punch at her, nearly giving her high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol all at once.

But Ruan Sixian truly had no intention of questioning Jiang Ziyue, even though Jiang Ziyue’s various behaviors throughout the day had already exposed her.

Mainly because Ruan Sixian felt that making a scene wouldn’t accomplish anything. The fundamental problem with the rumors was that everyone misunderstood that she had tried to seduce Fu Mingyu, and when unsuccessful, angrily resigned. Arguing with Jiang Ziyue wouldn’t solve this problem.

Besides, three years had passed, and World Airlines had gone through batch after batch of new employees. Nobody mentioned this matter anymore, and she was too lazy to make herself miserable over it.

As long as these people didn’t keep appearing in front of her like the culprit Fu Mingyu, occasionally irritating her, she could completely disregard these rumors lurking in the shadows.

Unfortunately, Ruan Sixian underestimated her colleagues’ memory.

After just one week, the media reports on the inaugural flight came out, and World Airlines had done plenty of internal promotion. As a newly appointed female pilot on the inaugural flight, the three characters “Ruan Sixian” frequently appeared in various internal documents and reports, and those long-dormant rumors were gradually dug up again.

At this point, Jiang Ziyue was also very anxious. This time it truly wasn’t her who spread the gossip. It was just that there were always some people who still remembered that incident and their memories were triggered. Just a single mention was enough for the topic to silently spread throughout the cabin crew department.

Of course, these words could never reach Ruan Sixian’s ears.

The reason she vaguely sensed something was because the flight attendant she had met on the inaugural flight while having lunch with her, seemed hesitant to speak several times.

Ruan Sixian asked directly at that time, “Is there some rumor about me going around recently?”

The flight attendant was shocked by Ruan Sixian’s directness and stammered, “Just… they were chatting idly, it’s nothing, I don’t believe it anyway.”

Fine, so it was like that.

Ruan Sixian ate an extra piece of mousse cake that day. The sufficient calorie intake made her feel good.

However, the effect of the cake only lasted until the next day.

For the 9 AM flight, there was a pre-flight coordination meeting at 7 AM. Ruan Sixian arrived twenty minutes early, and signed the flight task form at the dispatch office for the captain, while the captain took the first officer to refuel.

When Ruan Sixian returned to the meeting room, before she could push the door open, she heard whispers that included her name.

After listening at the door for a moment, it was indeed the topic she had anticipated.

“Really? Is it that magical?”

“I heard it from some senior flight attendants, it sounded quite detailed, so it must be true.”

“My goodness, then her life experience is impressive, to return as a pilot.”

Hearing this, Ruan Sixian was still telling herself to let it go. After all, they were colleagues, and they would occasionally be assigned to the same flight in the future.

Bearing with it for a moment would keep things peaceful, taking a step back would make the sea vast and the sky boundless.

She raised her hand preparing to knock on the door to remind those inside, but at that moment, the topic inside deepened.

“Then why did she come back to World Airlines? Wasn’t it said that other airlines were trying to recruit her too?”

“Yeah, won’t it be awkward? If it were me, I probably wouldn’t appear at World Airlines ever again in this lifetime.”

“Amazing, could it be that she’s still obsessed with Director Fu?”

“If you put it that way, everything seems to make sense?”

“…?”

This couldn’t be tolerated anymore.

The only man she would be obsessed with in this lifetime was her beloved cloud husband!

Ruan Sixian smiled with twitching lips, her chest aching with anger. Indeed, like a boss, like employees.

Still bearing with them?

Enduring for a moment leads to ovarian cysts, and stepping back leads to mammary hyperplasia.

“If you’re so curious, why not ask me directly?” Ruan Sixian pushed open the meeting room door, crossed her arms, tilted her head, and said with a forced smile, “I’m good at communication. As long as you ask, I’ll tell you everything I know.”

The group caught gossiping behind her back immediately shrank like little chicks, blushing to their ears, not daring to respond.

“As for why I returned to World Airlines.” Ruan Sixian took two steps inside, her voice becoming clearer, “The Director’s office on the 18th floor of headquarters welcomes you to go ask for clarity anytime.”

The room fell dead silent. This half-minute felt as long as doing a plank exercise; they didn’t dare to breathe deeply.

Finally, the chief flight attendant awkwardly tried to smooth things over: “Deputy Ruan, we were just…”

“Is everyone here?” The captain’s sudden appearance interrupted the chief flight attendant’s words.

When he realized the atmosphere inside was a bit unusual, he asked again, “What’s wrong?”

The chief flight attendant mumbled without saying anything clearly. Ruan Sixian smiled and said, “Nothing, I just arrived too.”

The captain was somewhat doubtful but didn’t ask further. He never dared to question women’s thoughts too deeply.

On the same day, Fu Mingyu, who had been on a business trip for nearly two weeks, boarded his return flight.

When he exited the airport, it was already late. Outside the car window, neon lights flickered, everything was clear and vivid, with faint light flowing—the most beautiful time of day on the airport road.

Fu Mingyu leaned against the seat and loosened his tie, and weariness gradually spread across his brow.

“Director Fu, are we going to Lake Light Mansion?” Bai Yang asked, turning from the front passenger seat.

Fu Mingyu didn’t open his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and didn’t answer directly. “What time is it?”

“Quarter past nine.”

Fu Mingyu pondered briefly, “Let’s go to Ming Chen Apartments instead.”

The driver heard and naturally drove to Ming Chen Apartments, but Bai Yang continued, “When you turned off your phone during this morning’s meeting, your wife called me and said you haven’t been home for many days.”

“Mm.” Fu Mingyu said carelessly, “It’s too late today, I’ll go back tomorrow.”

The car sped toward Ming Chen Apartments, slowing down at the main entrance.

By now, Fu Mingyu’s drowsiness had disappeared. He looked out the car window, and a figure slowly entered his field of vision.

“Stop right here.”

While saying this, Fu Mingyu was already putting on his suit jacket. “Have someone bring my luggage up later.”

Without waiting for Bai Yang’s response, Fu Mingyu got out of the car.

Early summer evenings were perfect for walks. At this hour, many elderly residents were out strolling with children, and some were walking their dogs.

Ruan Sixian dragged her flight case, walking very cautiously, always careful to avoid dogs on the path.

But even so, her steps couldn’t be quick.

Today’s flight had four segments, flying from 8 AM until 8 PM.

When she was a flight attendant, she always envied the pilots in the cockpit who could sit throughout the flight.

Only when she sat in that position did she realize that physical exertion was secondary; maintaining complete concentration throughout was truly exhausting.

Fortunately, several cape jasmine flowers had bloomed by the roadside. Their fragrance was carried by the evening breeze, faintly dispersing some of her fatigue.

When Ruan Sixian reached the steps at the bottom of the building, she noticed her shoelace was untied.

She crouched down to tie it, and when she stood up ready to pick up her flight case, someone had already done so ahead of her.

Fu Mingyu picked up her flight case, took two or three steps up the stairs, and looked back at her.

“Just got off the flight?”

Ruan Sixian didn’t want to talk and gave a light “mm” as an answer.

She was still upset about the morning’s incident, feeling that she had witnessed what it meant when people say “like master, like man.”

This person could still come up with a line like “I think she was interested in me” after three years.

The employees below, knowing nothing, could say “she’s still obsessed with Director Fu.”

Did World Airlines run planes on imagination?

Thinking of this, Ruan Sixian was already trying hard to control her temper, then stretched out her hand to take her flight case.

But Fu Mingyu didn’t extend his hand.

“Let me carry it for you.”

“Am I missing a hand?”

“…”

Fu Mingyu felt a sense of powerlessness rising from the bottom of his heart, yet he couldn’t move forward or retreat, just generating frustration.

To make matters worse, the person in front of him was reaching out to grab the flight case, a fair hand waving back and forth before his eyes.

It was truly frustrating.

Fu Mingyu directly grabbed the hand in front of him. “Ruan…”

The feeling in his palm was somewhat unusual, and the remaining two syllables weren’t spoken.

He paused for a moment, and to confirm, his fingers subtly rubbed across her palm.

A thin but very obvious layer of calluses.

Lately, the scene of their first meeting kept floating in his mind, and the more it happened, the clearer it became.

She was very beautiful, wearing a fitted flight attendant uniform, with a graceful figure and delicate skin. Any man who saw her would think she was a dainty, exquisite woman.

Calluses seemed like something that shouldn’t appear on her palm.

While Fu Mingyu was momentarily lost in thought, Ruan Sixian violently pulled her hand back and even wiped it on her clothes, looking at Fu Mingyu with an expression reserved for perverts.

“What are you doing? I’m telling you, if you keep touching me inappropriately, even though you’re the boss, I’ll dare to report you for workplace sexual harassment!”

She even took two steps back after saying this.

“…”

Fu Mingyu truly didn’t know what to say.

Inappropriate touching?!

Sexual harassment?!

A turbid air constricted in his chest as he lowered his voice and said, “Ruan Sixian.”

The three syllables were pronounced extremely heavily, almost through gritted teeth.

Ruan Sixian raised her head to meet his gaze.

The two were separated by less than half a meter, their eyes reflecting each other. It should have been a romantic scene, but the surroundings were only filled with tension.

“Don’t repeatedly challenge my temper.”

Challenge your temper?

Ruan Sixian was so angry she laughed.

Who was challenging whose temper?

“Are you finished?” Ruan Sixian was furious, yet her tone became light, “Then that’s what they’ll carve on your tombstone.”