“Attention passengers traveling from Jiangcheng to Yuanhu Island: Your flight HS5286 is now boarding. Please bring your personal belongings, present your boarding pass, and proceed to Gate 11 for Aircraft 17. Have a pleasant journey. Thank you!”

The announcement echoed through the terminal of Jiangcheng International Airport as a long line gradually formed at Gate 11.

In the jetway, first-class passengers were already being allowed to board first.

Ruan Sixian stood at the front of the cabin crew, straightening her collar, chin raised, gazing down the jetway.

The morning sunlight filtered lazily through the glass onto the jetway floor, and familiar, clear footsteps approached from ahead.

Fu Mingyu wore a simple white t-shirt with black pants, walking casually, the light and shadows dancing subtly on his shoulders.

When Fu Mingyu stopped in front of Ruan Sixian, their eyes met, and the flow of light and shadow seemed to slow down.

Ruan Sixian cleared her throat, head high but eyes lowered, and said, “President Fu, Captain Ruan Sixian at your service for this flight.”

“Mm,” Fu Mingyu responded coolly, “Thank you for your hard work, Captain Ruan.”

Ruan Sixian, “My duty.”

As Fu Mingyu walked toward the cabin, the crew members behind her kept their eyes down, remaining silent, pretending to be knowingly discreet.

In reality, they had no idea what kind of game these two were playing.

“Let’s go,” Ruan Sixian turned to follow Fu Mingyu, waving to the co-pilot, “Let’s head in.”

A few minutes later, the other first-class passengers took their seats.

The cabin air conditioning was set a bit low. A girl wrapped herself in a blanket, took out an eye mask preparing to sleep, when her companion nudged her shoulder.

“Look over there.”

The girl turned to look. The man’s profile was half-hidden in the light and shadow, almost unrealistically handsome.

Her companion whispered in her ear, “Your type.”

The girl pressed her lips together without speaking.

After about fifteen minutes, boarding was complete, doors closed, and flight attendants began walking through the cabin checking safety measures.

The girl secretly glanced over several times, and finally couldn’t resist. She unbuckled her seatbelt and walked over.

“Sir…”

Fu Mingyu looked up at the sound, “Mm?”

“Um…” The girl felt her companion’s teasing gaze behind her, and a blush immediately spread across her face. Her phone seemed to burn in her hand. “Could I add you on WeChat?”

The head flight attendant, who happened to be passing by, saw the situation and suddenly coughed loudly, “Ma’am, our plane is about to take off. Please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt.”

“Yes, yes, right away!”

The girl didn’t sense the flight attendant’s protective attitude, but her anxious gaze on Fu Mingyu grew more urgent.

Fu Mingyu leaned lazily against his seat, slowly raising his hand, fingers slightly curved, supporting his chin, the wedding ring on his ring finger very conspicuous.

“I’m married.”

“…Oh.”

The girl suddenly froze, embarrassment making her scalp tingle.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Back in her seat, the girl hugged her blanket, not even daring to glance in that direction again.

“What happened?” her companion asked softly.

“Stop talking, it’s so embarrassing!”

The girl’s neck flushed red with embarrassment. “I didn’t notice his wedding ring.”

Her companion, fearless, boldly looked over.

“I feel like he looks familiar, haven’t we seen him somewhere? He looks so young, yet already married. What a shame, married so young.”

“I also think he looks familiar…”

Fu Mingyu turned his head to look out the window. The airport stretched out below, the sky clear and cloudless, with occasional gusts of wind.

His phone had been ringing since early morning, and Fu Mingyu was thoroughly annoyed.

[Zhu Dong]: We’re all free for once, let’s play cards tonight.

[Fu Mingyu]: Not going.

[Ji Yan]: What cards? Do something healthy. There’s a car show at the Exhibition Center this afternoon, want to check it out?

[Fu Mingyu]: Not going.

[Yan An]: I’m saying, are you being a bit antisocial? Doesn’t your wife have a flight today? Are you just going to stay home alone on a weekend?

[Zhu Dong]:?

[Zhu Dong]: Yan An, that’s a bit uncalled for.

[Ji Yan]: How do you know his wife’s schedule?

[Ji Yan]: Is An’an’s sister just air to you?

[Yan An]: What’s wrong with you?

[Yan An]: Haven’t you seen his wife’s Moments? She posted photos this morning about her first flight as captain.

Zhu Dong and Ji Yan checked the Moments feed, but the first post they saw was from their good friend.

“Wife taking me on a self-driving tour.”

The accompanying image showed the distinctive wing of an ACJ30.

“…”

The group chat went silent for several seconds.

[Zhu Dong]: …?

[Ji Yan]: Wait, is that how “self-driving tour” is used, President Fu?

[Yan An]: President Fu is impressive. Flying over in the morning, flying back in the evening, and still calling it a self-driving tour? More like an airport half-day tour.

[Fu Mingyu]: Any objections?

[Zhu Dong]: No objections. Who can blame me when my wife can’t fly a plane?

[Ji Yan]: No objections. Who can blame me when I have neither a plane nor a wife?

[Yan An]: Pretty proud of sponging off your wife, aren’t you?

The plane began pushing back, with slight vibrations.

Fu Mingyu turned off his phone, no longer paying attention to these friends.

He couldn’t see inside the cockpit, but with his experience, he knew exactly what was happening there, and could almost hear the voices.

—80 knots, check.

—V1, check.

—V2, check.

—VR, check.

—Rotate.

—Takeoff.

—HS5286 is airborne, thank you for your guidance, goodbye.

At the moment the plane took off, Fu Mingyu looked toward the cockpit door, imagining Ruan Sixian wearing headphones and talking to air traffic control.

It overlapped with his memory, her proud posture and clear, determined gaze that he would never forget.

He turned the ring on his finger, his eyes brightening slightly.

This ring, to Ruan Sixian, meant a home; to him, it meant that every day in the future, he would stand guard in the clear light, protecting her.

Half an hour later, the cabin lights came on, and the flight attendants left their seats and began bustling about.

In the cabin, some passengers played on their iPads, some continued napping, and some who needed the restroom had already unbuckled their seatbelts and were walking toward the lavatories.

Suddenly, a voice came over the intercom.

“Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am the captain of this flight, Ruan Sixian. On behalf of the entire crew, I welcome you aboard Hengshi Airlines Flight 5286 to Yuanhu Island. Our estimated flight time is three hours and forty minutes. The weather along our route is partly cloudy, and we expect some slight turbulence during the flight. Please don’t worry and keep your seatbelts fastened while in your seats.”

For most passengers, it was the first time hearing a female voice on an airplane broadcast, clear and clean, like the sound of jade.

They looked up, their attention unconsciously drawn to the announcement.

“Today is my first flight as captain, and I’m honored to spend this flight time with all of you.”

“I’m also grateful to everyone, especially Mr. Fu in seat A01, for accompanying me to witness this important milestone in my life.”

After the broadcast ended, passengers in the cabin belatedly began to discuss.

“Ruan Sixian? Isn’t that THE Ruan Sixian?”

“Of course, how many Ruan Sixians could there be at World Aviation?”

“Damn, we’re on Ruan Sixian’s flight today?”

“I always thought she was already a captain. So today is her first day as captain?”

“What kind of eyesight do you have? The news last year clearly stated she was a co-pilot!”

“My goodness, what incredible luck I have! I’m going to post on Weibo when we land!”

The girl who had asked for Fu Mingyu’s WeChat finally realized, amid the discussions around her, why he had looked familiar.

Wasn’t he the World Aviation director who had once trended because of Li Zhihuai?

Wasn’t he the boyfriend of that female pilot who made the emergency landing?

The girl looked toward the cockpit, her heart nearly stopping.

His wife was right there, and she had gone to ask for his WeChat. What an exquisite yet awkward coincidence.

Three hours and ten minutes later, the plane landed on time at Yuanhu Island Airport.

Some passengers didn’t rush to leave after disembarking, lingering by the crew bus, surrounding Ruan Sixian as soon as she appeared, asking for photos.

Ruan Sixian, surrounded by the crowd, looked back at Fu Mingyu and raised her chin.

Her eyes were incredibly smug.

Fu Mingyu stood alone to the side, waiting and waiting. Apart from a flight attendant bringing him a bottle of mineral water from the plane, no one paid him any attention.

As the temperature rose, maintenance and ground staff came to disperse the crowd, and Ruan Sixian was finally able to break free.

Fu Mingyu walked over and embraced her.

“Captain Ruan has landed safely.”

“Ah, they all wanted photos with me. I should have applied some foundation today.”

In the restaurant, Ruan Sixian fixed her hair while looking at her phone. “I wonder if I looked good on camera. I didn’t even have the chance to check the photos.”

Fu Mingyu glanced at her, ladling a bowl of soup for her, “Can you eat first?”

“Oh, in a minute.”

Ruan Sixian responded but seemed not to have heard, continuing to fiddle with her phone.

“This photo is so blurry, yet they still posted it!”

Ruan Sixian searched her name and found many real-time Weibo posts, which irritated her. “Couldn’t they take more photos and choose a better one? I don’t charge for photos!”

“Captain Ruan,” Fu Mingyu pushed the bowl in front of her, emphasizing once more, “Eat.”

“I know.”

Ruan Sixian slowly put down her phone, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite, but couldn’t help looking around.

Yuanhu Island wasn’t an island; it had long since been naturally filled into flat land through geological changes.

This restaurant was located at the center of Yuanhu Island, built in the open air, with a view of endless wetlands.

Seeing her looking around while barely touching her food, Fu Mingyu put down his chopsticks and crossed his arms, watching her.

“Are you hinting at something?”

“Huh? What?”

“Is eating a meal so difficult? Do you want me to feed you?”

“…”

Ruan Sixian picked up her chopsticks again. “Why can’t you get rid of this narcissistic habit? I’m just a little excited, that’s all.”

After the meal, they walked to the open grassland of Yuanhu Island.

“You’re quite familiar with this place,” Ruan Sixian followed Fu Mingyu without needing navigation. “Have you been here before?”

“Mm,” Fu Mingyu sat down on a bench. “I came a few years ago to watch a meteor shower. This is an excellent spot for meteor shower observation.”

Ruan Sixian had already settled comfortably on the bench, but hearing this, she twisted her body to look him up and down, suddenly tilting her head back and grinning for a while.

Fu Mingyu didn’t quite understand this new captain’s train of thought. “What are you laughing at?”

“I just can’t help laughing when I imagine you lying on this grass with a lovesick maiden’s expression.”

Miss Fu frowned helplessly, “I think a scene of hundreds of thousands of meteors isn’t that maiden-like.”

“Hundreds of thousands…”

Ruan Sixian’s smile faded, turning into a slight curve at the corners of her mouth. She looked up at the daylight. “So you’re quite a romantic person, jumping from waterfalls and traveling so far to see the dust of the universe.”

Fu Mingyu put his arm around Ruan Sixian’s shoulders, suddenly thinking of something, and turned to look at her, “Have you ever seen a meteor shower?”

Ruan Sixian played with her fingers, casually saying, “I’ve only seen thunderstorms.”

“On October 22nd this year, the Orionid meteor shower will align with Halley’s Comet’s orbit. You can see it here. Want to come?”

“Just, just October?” Although Ruan Sixian’s face remained calm, her eyes seemed already filled with meteors. “If I have time, I’ll come.”

Fu Mingyu said okay.

How could she not have time? It was just a matter of his decision.

The return flight was at seven in the evening, and Ruan Sixian and Fu Mingyu left for the airport at four-thirty.

As they were leaving, Ruan Sixian turned to look at the sky and suddenly said, “Why don’t we take our wedding photos here that day?”

He didn’t know that since he had mentioned “hundreds of thousands of meteors,” Ruan Sixian had been picturing that scene, still dreaming about it.

“Hmm?” Fu Mingyu was amused by her sudden idea.

They had been thinking about where to take their wedding photos for months. Ruan Sixian had considered Greece, then North Africa, then Switzerland a few days later, constantly changing her mind without settling on a location.

“Don’t you want to go somewhere farther?”

“Let’s just do it here,” Ruan Sixian looked out the window with a dreamy expression. “If we have a meteor shower as a backdrop, that would be something truly rare and special.”

Fu Mingyu nodded, “Alright.”

Once they decided to take their wedding photos within the country, the entire process became much simpler.

Only the timing of the wedding dress was a bit tight.

The originally scheduled completion in November was advanced because of the upcoming meteor shower.

On October 20th, He Lanxiang personally brought it back from Paris.

This wedding dress didn’t have a train so wide that it needed to be carried while walking.

Its exquisiteness lay in how the tailoring complemented the owner’s body curves, and the most ingenious aspect was that while it appeared snow-white at first glance, special silk threads subtly flowed with low-saturation golden fine light, shimmering and radiant even at night.

When she saw the finished product, Ruan Sixian could only marvel inwardly.

This unique wedding dress in the world, this dress that belonged only to her—if it could have a sky full of meteor showers as a backdrop, everything would be perfect.

On October 21st, Ruan Sixian scheduled a four-day leave but wasn’t idle.

She had planned to go with Fu Mingyu to Yuanhu Island in advance to set up, but He Lanxiang insisted that Fu Mingyu go alone, while she took Ruan Sixian to various beauty establishments, attending to everything from face to toes, not even sparing a single hair, striving for the most perfect condition in front of the camera.

Ruan Sixian understood this reasoning.

After all, Zheng You’an had volunteered to be the photographer this time, and Ruan Sixian would never forget the fear of being at Zheng You’an’s mercy. She refused to have any flaws that Zheng You’an could torment her about.

Beauty treatments were naturally not something Fu Mingyu could participate in, and coincidentally, he had business in the city adjacent to Yuanhu Island that day.

They worked separately, busy until the afternoon of the 21st when everything was ready, just waiting for nature to gift them a meteor shower the next day.

However, that afternoon, Ruan Sixian received a call from Fu Mingyu with news that could be considered either bad or good.

This year’s Orionid meteor shower was coming earlier than expected—it would arrive tonight!

Ruan Sixian nearly jumped off the sofa.

This was even more unreasonable than a period, coming without warning!

This was when having connections proved useful. With one call from Fu Mingyu, the marketing department immediately arranged the closest flight for Ruan Sixian, Zheng You’an, and her assistant.

But due to the urgency, there were no business class seats available, only economy.

Ruan Sixian didn’t mind, bringing her precious wedding dress and hurrying to the airport with Zheng You’an.

“Oh my, how can anyone fit in this seat?”

Zheng You’an squeezed into the narrow seat, finding fault with everything. “I can’t even stretch my legs, and the backrest can’t recline for sleeping. How am I supposed to get through three hours? No, no, I’ll probably be ruined by the time we land.”

An elderly man nearby heard Zheng You’an’s complaints and snorted coldly, saying sarcastically, “Take it or leave it. So many demands, do you think the plane is your home?”

Ruan Sixian, “…”

Zheng You’an, “…”

The two airline company owners’ wives immediately fell silent as chickens.

However, the plane that was supposed to take off at six o’clock still showed no signs of movement by seven-fifteen.

Delayed takeoffs weren’t rare, and Ruan Sixian had experienced many herself. The reasons could be varied, but she had never been as anxious as today.

The meteor shower she had been longing for, was such a rare opportunity—if they missed it, who knew when the next one would be?

She checked her watch several times, time slipping away, yet still no news of takeoff.

Zheng You’an yawned beside her, and the entire cabin of passengers grew restless.

“Let’s just forget it,” she said lazily. “Let’s change the date, or change the location, and take a first-class flight comfortably.”

As she spoke, she became more enthusiastic. “Come on, let’s go home now.”

“No!”

Ruan Sixian held her down. “You’re not allowed to leave!”

As they were speaking, Ni Tong passed through the economy aisle, bringing water for the two of them.

“Wait a bit longer,” she bent down and whispered in Ruan Sixian’s ear. “There’s a thunderstorm along the route. Right now, flights from Shilan direction are departing once every 20 minutes. We’ll be delayed by at least 4 hours today.”

Hearing this, Zheng You’an immediately stood up.

“Let’s go home, there’s no way we’ll make it today.”

Ruan Sixian sighed, sitting silently for a few seconds, then slowly rose.

With thunderstorms, she had no hope for a miracle, and there were no other flights to Yuanhu Island now. Even if they used a private plane, it would be too late. Today was not happening.

Ni Tong went to find the crew to request permission for them to disembark, and at that moment, Fu Mingyu called.

“Still haven’t taken off?”

“No,” Ruan Sixian said dejectedly. “Thunderstorms along the route, at least four hours before we can fly. We won’t make it to today’s meteor shower.”

“Mm, it’s alright,”

Fu Mingyu said on the other end of the phone, “If you want to see meteor showers, there will be many opportunities. Anywhere in the world where they occur, I can take you.”

Ruan Sixian paused, not feeling comforted.

She had been waiting for this meteor shower for three months, anticipating it every day, and the sudden disappointment was hard to bear.

In the past, she might have just accepted it, being used to dashed hopes.

But somehow, being with Fu Mingyu, she had grown accustomed to getting what she wanted. After so long, she now found it difficult to accept even this kind of setback.

“We agreed to take wedding photos today,”

Her tone was low. “I’ve been waiting for three months, wanting to see the meteor shower.”

Wanting to see the meteor shower with you.

Fu Mingyu pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, “Wait a moment.”

“Hmm?”

Fu Mingyu hung up after speaking, and Ruan Sixian stared at her phone screen, not knowing what to do.

“Let’s go,”

Zheng You’an touched her stomach, thinking about where to have dinner. “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat something and then head home.”

A few minutes later, Ni Tong returned and whispered, “You can get off now.”

Zheng You’an stood up satisfied, flexed her arms, and lowered her head saying, “Let’s go.”

At that moment, Fu Mingyu called again.

As soon as he began, he said concisely, “The coastal route is normal, no flow control.”

Ruan Sixian didn’t react immediately. “Hmm?”

Fu Mingyu added, “The captain of your current flight is a foreign pilot.”

Ruan Sixian, “Hmm?”

Hmm??

Hmm???

She suddenly blinked, seeming to understand something.

On the other end of the phone, Fu Mingyu chuckled lightly, “Captain Ruan, the meteor shower viewing base at Yuanhu Island is ready for you. Are you coming?”

Ruan Sixian’s gaze inadvertently passed through the cabin, straight to the cockpit door.

Two seconds later.

“Wait for me!”

She hung up the phone, unbuckled her seatbelt, and stood up, looking at Ni Tong.

“Who’s the co-pilot today?”

Ni Tong, “Chen Ming, why?”

Ruan Sixian, “Is the captain in the cockpit?”

Ni Tong, “Ca-Captain Anderson? He’s at the dispatch department right now.”

Ruan Sixian, “Confirmed that the thunderstorm flow control prevents takeoff?”

Ni Tong, “Yes.”

Ruan Sixian’s eyes rolled, her thinking aligning with Fu Mingyu’s.

Flight routes are divided into domestic and international routes. Flights with foreign crew members can only fly international routes, but flights without foreign crew members can fly all routes.

Today, the international route with thunderstorms was impassable.

But the other route was normal, and while the foreign captain couldn’t fly it, she could!

Coincidentally, her flight time and rest period today met all flying conditions.

Ruan Sixian suddenly took a deep breath, stepped into the aisle, grabbed a hair tie from her bag, and while tying her hair, said to Ni Tong, “Call Flight Operations to send the flight task sheet, and have someone from the Director’s Office bring my license and credentials.”

Ni Tong & Zheng You’an, “Huh?”

With her long hair tied back, Ruan Sixian adjusted her ponytail and walked toward the cockpit.

“I’m taking over this plane now.”

Ni Tong and Zheng You’an were dumbfounded, and when the passengers realized the situation, the cabin erupted in excitement.

After several phone calls, in less than fifteen minutes, the flight task sheet, license, and credentials were all delivered to Ruan Sixian.

Before takeoff, Ruan Sixian called Fu Mingyu.

Fu Mingyu, “Have you taken off?”

“Soon,” she looked at the instrument panel, a smile playing on her lips. “Husband, wait for me, okay?”

“Mm,” Fu Mingyu looked at the setting sun. “I’ll be at the airport waiting for you.”

After hanging up, the co-pilot beside her was still confused, not quite understanding how his captain had suddenly changed.

“Ca-Captain Ruan…”

“Prepare for pushback,” Ruan Sixian activated her headset. “We don’t have much time.”

Ten minutes later, the plane disconnected from ground power and pushed back.

Ruan Sixian, “80 knots.”

Co-pilot, “80 knots, check.”

Ruan Sixian, “V1.”

Co-pilot, “V1, check.”

Ruan Sixian, “V2.”

Co-pilot, “V2, check.”

Ruan Sixian, “VR.”

Co-pilot, “VR reached.”

Ruan Sixian, “Rotate, takeoff.”

Co-pilot, “Landing gear retracted.”

The plane soared, and Ruan Sixian pressed her headset, “HS5536 is airborne, thank you for your guidance, goodbye.”

In the headset, the air traffic controller paused, finally realizing that this plane had taken off.

“Good-goodbye.”

Ruan Sixian looked up at the clouds on the horizon.

In the limited life ahead, she didn’t want to leave a single regret.

Meanwhile, Captain Anderson, who had hurriedly rushed to the tarmac, found nothing but space.

Hmm?

Hmm hmm??

Hmm hmm hmm???

Where’s my plane??

Where’s that huge plane that was nicely parked right there???

The plane broke through the clouds, heading toward Yuanhu Island against the setting sun.

From the spacious cockpit window, Ruan Sixian watched the sun slowly hide behind the clouds, its bright light disappearing at the horizon.

The sky darkened completely, and the moon peeked out, passing her by.

The navigational lights of Yuanhu Island Airport were faintly visible.

Ruan Sixian looked at the airport ahead, her fingers tapping lightly on the instrument panel.

Although they were still thousands of meters above ground, she felt as if she could see Fu Mingyu waiting for her.

The numbers on the altimeter decreased with each jump.

With her breath held in anticipation, for this journey, she was especially looking forward to landing.

Since having him in her life, she seemed to always have expectations and hopes, both big and small.

And each expectation would be fulfilled, each hope would become reality, without fail.

Half an hour later, the plane stopped steadily at Yuanhu Island Airport’s parking apron.

Passengers disembarked one after another, while Ruan Sixian sat in the cockpit, looking at the night sky ahead.

The night was thick, black as a curtain, seemingly eager to welcome the arrival of tonight’s meteor shower.

And she was now eager to put on her wedding dress for him to see.

After the entire cabin quieted down, Ruan Sixian took a deep breath and rose from the cockpit.

Fu Mingyu stood by the wing, looking up several times. The cockpit was empty, but she hadn’t appeared at the cabin door either.

After the last passenger boarded the shuttle bus and the doors closed, the bus slowly drove away.

Fu Mingyu strode toward the stairs.

Just as he stepped onto the first rung, the crew gathered at the cabin door suddenly erupted in excitement.

Fu Mingyu’s footsteps paused, and he looked up.

Ruan Sixian appeared at the cabin door, holding up her dress.

She ran toward him, her wedding dress floating under the navigational lights, brilliantly shining.

The light in Fu Mingyu’s eyes gathered, his startled expression gradually dispersing, turning into a knowing smile.

He opened his arms, and with a waft of fragrance, Ruan Sixian threw herself into his embrace.

Like after every landing, Fu Mingyu held her, stroking her back.

But today, he didn’t call her captain.

“Mrs. Fu,” he said softly, “You’ve landed safely.”

“Mm.”

Ruan Sixian nodded firmly, raising her eyes. The long-awaited meteor shower seemed to have arrived, majestic and filling the night sky, dazzlingly brilliant.

She hugged Fu Mingyu tightly, her heart landing steadily.

My life.

Lost my mother as a child, lost my father as a teenager.

Stumbled through youth, figuring out how to grow up alone.

In the sky, there was no shelter from the wind, no lighthouse visible in the fog. At thirty thousand meters high, I thought that moving against the wind was the only way forward.

Fortunately, fortunately.

Finally, upon your heart, I landed safely.