Yan An found it incredible that Ruan Si Xian ended up paying for dinner tonight.

This was the first time he had experienced such a situation—inviting a woman out for a meal, only to have her somehow pay the bill without him noticing when it happened.

Was it when she went to the bathroom? Or when she stepped out to take a call?

He wasn’t sure, but Yan An did feel a moment of lost face. What did it say about him when a woman paid for dinner on an outing?

But then Ruan Si Xian smiled and said, “This meal is to thank Mr. Yan for your help yesterday. Sorry to have bothered you so late at night.”

Yan An pursed his lips. “It was nothing.”

“I know it’s a small matter for Mr. Yan,” Ruan Si Xian stood up and grabbed her bag, her smile unwavering. “But for my friend and me, it was a big problem. If not for you, we would have had to contact property management to find the car owner that late at night—too much trouble.”

Ruan Si Xian carefully observed Yan An’s expression, noting the gradual relaxation in his eyes, and felt relieved.

She knew men cared about such things, but she disliked being at a disadvantage in new acquaintanceships because of “treating meals” or “gift-giving” that created substantive social debts.

Still, these rich second-generation types chose such expensive restaurants that it genuinely hurt her wallet to pay.

Oh well, she could think of it as money taken from Fu Ming Yu’s pocket, which immediately made her feel much better.

For his part, Yan An was pleased by Ruan Si Xian’s few complimentary words. As they left the restaurant, noting it was still early with a pleasant evening breeze, he casually suggested finding a place to sit for a while.

Ruan Si Xian knew when to stop pushing and didn’t continue to deny Yan An face at this juncture. She mentioned having a flight tomorrow, so she couldn’t drink alcohol, and Yan An said they could just have some beverages to aid digestion.

After thinking a moment, Ruan Si Xian said, “There’s a small, clean bar that my friend runs nearby. If you don’t mind that it’s small, we can go there.”

Yan An naturally had no objections. A five-minute drive brought them to Bian Xuan’s place.

It wasn’t yet eight o’clock, so the bar was nearly empty. Bian Xuan sat alone behind the counter washing glasses, with only two or three girls chatting at a table in the hall.

After seating Yan An, Ruan Si Xian went to the counter to greet Bian Xuan.

Bian Xuan leaned against the counter, smiling as she looked in Yan An’s direction. “Boyfriend?”

“No,” Ruan Si Xian poured herself a glass of juice. “Just a regular friend. Hurry and make him one of your signature cocktails.”

Bian Xuan blinked. “Just a regular friend? He looks pretty good—tall, handsome, and he looks rich too.”

Ruan Si Xian ignored her, placing the glasses on a tray and returning to chat with Yan An.

Like during dinner, conversing with Yan An was very comfortable. He didn’t like discussing work; they talked about everything under the sun, and he occasionally made Ruan Si Xian laugh heartily.

The entire evening was pleasant—if not for that small incident.

Ruan Si Xian had gone to the counter for wet wipes and, seeing Bian Xuan overwhelmed, helped deliver a drink to table three.

The bar was dimly lit, so she carefully searched for the table by number. Just as she bent down to place the drink, the customer suddenly stood up, accidentally bumping into her, causing the entire drink to spill on her clothes.

The customer was very apologetic, quickly grabbing napkins to help her clean up.

“I’m so sorry, miss. I didn’t notice you.”

“It’s alright.”

The moment they spoke, both froze.

“Ruan Si Xian?” Jiang Zi Yue seemed uncertain, peering more closely in the dim light. “Is it you?”

Ruan Si Xian stared at her, momentarily speechless.

Ruan Si Xian wasn’t unaware of the rumors circulating at World Airlines during that period. After all, no wall is completely soundproof. Former colleagues had told her about it, but she had just joined Commercial Aircraft at the time, busy with internal pilot recruitment assessments. When the dust settled and she thought about the source of the incident, who else could it be but Jiang Zi Yue?

But Ruan Si Xian hadn’t sought confirmation. She hadn’t planned on having anything more to do with World Airlines anyway and later went to the flight academy, where she was so exhausted she fell asleep the moment she hit the bed, with no energy to think about this matter.

Seeing her now, Ruan Si Xian felt distinctly strange.

This moment of silence deepened a small misunderstanding in Jiang Zi Yue’s mind.

Looking over Ruan Si Xian’s attire and scanning the surroundings, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“What a coincidence to run into you here.” Jiang Zi Yue continued wiping Ruan Si Xian’s clothes and, like before, as a senior, helped straighten her collar. “How have you been lately?”

“Fine,” Ruan Si Xian paused. “Are you off today?”

“Yes, I’m transferring to domestic flights, four segments at home base—more relaxed.” She sighed again. “I can’t believe three years have passed already. Just recently, our old colleagues were talking about you.”

“Me?” Ruan Si Xian smiled. “What’s there to talk about me?”

Jiang Zi Yue took a fresh napkin to clean her hands, speaking in a rather significant tone: “It’s quite regrettable. You’re young, beautiful, and smart. Wang Le Kang also liked you. If you hadn’t impulsively quit back then, you’d at least be a chief attendant by now, maybe even transferred to management.”

“But seeing your content now isn’t bad either. After all, the flight attendant profession only looks glamorous on the surface. In reality, it’s unbearably hard. Even I can’t stand those topsy-turvy days anymore…”

Perhaps out of guilt, once Jiang Zi Yue started talking, she couldn’t stop.

But Ruan Si Xian didn’t have time to idle—she had a flight early tomorrow morning. Conveniently, Bian Xuan called her from the counter, so she excused herself, saying she had something to attend to.

Jiang Zi Yue watched her walk away, suddenly remembering something. She took out her phone, found the photo that Ni Tong had sent her earlier, and compared the silhouette in it with the figure at the counter, carefully examining it.

Yan An had called his driver to wait when they decided to have a drink, so on the way back, he and Ruan Si Xian sat together in the back seat.

Just after getting in the car, Ruan Si Xian received a WeChat message from Jiang Zi Yue: I forgot to mention, that we should find an opportunity to get together sometime!

Ruan Si Xian didn’t understand why people these days liked to “get together” for no reason, regardless of the relationship—especially when they were hiding something.

She thought for a moment and replied: Sure, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

As she closed her phone, Yan An sitting beside her caught a glimpse of her screen.

“You like Japanese male celebrities?”

“Hmm?” Ruan Si Xian instinctively asked, “You know him too?”

How surprising that a man like Yan An could recognize a Japanese actor at a glance.

“I know him,” Yan An rested his hand behind his head, twisting his neck. “Back in high school, what was it… Flower something?”

“Boys Over Flowers.”

“Oh right, Boys Over Flowers was popular then. The girls in my class talked about it constantly. It was annoying.”

Annoying?

You men don’t understand.

Ruan Si Xian opened her screen again to admire her husband’s divine face.

Normal. Men being jealous is normal.

Remembering his youth, Yan An continued, “The most annoying thing was the girls at school always saying Fu Ming Yu had a similar aura to that guy in the show…”

Ruan Si Xian suddenly looked up. “Who?”

Yan An rubbed his temple. “What was his name… Xiao, Xiao Xun Li?”

Ruan Si Xian: “……”

“More like Xiao Ban Li.”

“And his name is Oguri Shun.”

“…Xiao Ban Li?” Yan An choked, grinning. “You’re really funny. I agree. He’s way more pretentious than that actor.”

…?

Ruan Si Xian looked at Yan An.

What do you mean?

Who’s pretentious?

But Yan An missed Ruan Si Xian’s look, turning to answer a call from his assistant.

Even as the car stopped downstairs, Ruan Si Xian was still one-sidedly angry at Yan An on behalf of all the high school girls.

How were they alike?

She recalled Fu Ming Yu’s appearance again and again. They didn’t look alike at all.

Were they all blind?

After Yan An left, Ruan Si Xian stood in the elevator lobby, watching the numbers on the display slowly decrease to negative and then gradually rise, her mind still lingering on Fu Ming Yu’s image.

With a “ding,” the elevator door opened.

Ruan Si Xian was looking down at her phone as she stepped in, almost being dragged inside.

What a coincidence—think of the Xiao Ban Li, and the Xiao Ban Li appears.

Ruan Si Xian glanced at him and directly moved to the opposite side.

It seemed like last time too—both in the same elevator but with no communication.

Ruan Si Xian didn’t even bother to greet him, and Fu Ming Yu wasn’t much better, unavoidably glancing at her when the elevator door opened but quickly looking away.

But Ruan Si Xian had secretly glanced at Fu Ming Yu several times.

Did they look alike?

Surely not—their features were completely different.

But hadn’t Yan An mentioned something about their aura, not their features?

Ruan Si Xian sneaked a few more glances. Maybe there was a tiny resemblance.

Once you accept a certain premise…

No, stop it.

He doesn’t deserve the comparison.

Sometimes people can acutely sense a gaze upon them even in a noisy environment, let alone in a closed elevator with no one else around.

Every few seconds, Fu Ming Yu could feel the person beside him secretly glancing at his face.

He suddenly turned his head and, sure enough, met Ruan Si Xian’s gaze.

—Cautiously pretending to be nonchalant, but with a hint of complex struggle.

“…”

Ruan Si Xian silently looked away, affectedly adjusting her hair at the temples, touching her slightly warm cheeks.

Being caught staring naturally caused some blushing, but she pretended nothing had happened.

Now it was Fu Ming Yu’s gaze falling on Ruan Si Xian.

But openly so.

“Have you been drinking?”

From the moment she entered, Fu Ming Yu had smelled alcohol.

“No.”

“Then why is your face red?”

“…”

Your powers of observation are truly keen.

Ruan Si Xian adjusted her expression in an instant, saying ominously, “Does a red face necessarily mean I’ve been drinking? What if I just came back from dancing on graves and the excitement hasn’t worn off?”

Fu Ming Yu had no interest in her verbal jousting. He said sternly, “You have your first flight tomorrow morning. Don’t you know how serious drinking is?”

“I said I didn’t drink,” Ruan Si Xian heard his confident tone and felt it was an insult to her professional integrity. A surge of anger rose in her. “Is it my fault someone spilled alcohol all over me in a bar?”

Bar?

Fu Ming Yu had no time to carefully ponder the intimate atmosphere of this location before the elevator door opened and Ruan Si Xian walked out.

Perhaps angered, or maybe embarrassed at being caught staring, regardless, Ruan Si Xian didn’t want to stay with him another second.

But Fu Ming Yu suddenly called out to her from behind.

“Ruan Si Xian.”

Ruan Si Xian turned around, looking at Fu Ming Yu with puzzlement.

“What?”

“First, Yan An is from North Airlines. You two being so close is inappropriate.”

Ruan Si Xian raised an eyebrow.

So?

“Second, Yan An is quite a playboy, changing girlfriends more frequently than changing clothes. Think carefully.”

Hearing this, Ruan Si Xian slowly turned to face Fu Ming Yu, seeming to seriously consider his words.

But after a few seconds, she asked, “What about you, Mr. Fu? Are you a playboy too?”

He hadn’t expected her to suddenly shift the topic from Yan An to him.

Fu Ming Yu’s brow slightly furrowed, his thoughts spreading uncontrollably.

“Don’t compare him to me.”

Ruan Si Xian let out a soft snort and turned away.

That night, a gentle rain descended upon the city, ceasing quietly before dawn to make way for the rising sun.

Ruan Si Xian slept well, naturally waking before her alarm.

The idea of being too nervous to sleep before her first flight didn’t exist for her—she could fall asleep instantly upon touching a pillow.

But that didn’t mean Ruan Si Xian wasn’t excited.

She ate breakfast, changed into her dried uniform, and meticulously tied her hair, so precise that even her hairline was perfectly neat.

The person in the mirror wore a uniform that fit so perfectly it seemed tailored, smooth and crisp, conforming to her figure while concealing her graceful curves, presenting the same spirited look that was in her eyes.

She didn’t wear makeup, just applied a layer of sunscreen. Her pores felt as if they had opened, breathing the air smoothly, giving her a sense of rebirth.

A feeling she had never experienced before spread from the depths of her heart to before her eyes, slowly unfolding a new scroll of possibilities.

At this moment, two cars were parked downstairs.

The morning air was fresh. Yan An leaned against his car door, adjusted his tie, and glanced at the adjacent car with its driver and Bai Yang, letting out a light snort.

As time ticked by, Yan An estimated Ruan Si Xian should be leaving soon, so he entered the first-floor lobby elevator area.

Sure enough, the floor indicator on the right elevator was slowly descending.

Yan An smoothed his hair in front of the elevator door, composed his expression, and prepared to greet Ruan Si Xian with a smile.

When the elevator door opened, he was met with a face he least wanted to see at that moment.

“Well, Mr. Fu, good morning.”

Fu Ming Yu responded, looking up and down at Yan An, who was unusually dressed in formal attire.

“What are you doing here?”

“What else? I’m here to pick up Ruan Si Xian for work.”

Yan An flicked his collar. “I have to say, your World Airlines is too stingy. You don’t even provide special cars for your pilots? What if something happens while taking a taxi?”

Fu Ming Yu ignored him. Yan An smiled and raised his chin slightly. “Mr. Fu, do you think if I were to date someone from your company, would that be inappropriate? I see you have many excellent talents. Why not negotiate and transfer them to our North Airlines?”

The alert sound of the adjacent elevator rang but was coincidentally drowned out by Fu Ming Yu’s voice.

“Is there anything concrete between you two yet?”

Yan An was used to Fu Ming Yu’s cold remarks, often left speechless by them, but today he felt particularly confident.

“I think so. We get along very well, like old friends at first sight.”

“Is that so?” Fu Ming Yu’s lips curled slightly. “I feel like she’s more interested in me.”

“…?”

At this moment, standing in the elevator and having heard the entire conversation, Ruan Si Xian took a deep breath with an expressionless face and unconsciously clenched her fists.

What, the rain has stopped, and the sun is out, so you think you’re all that again?

She stepped out, walking briskly to Fu Ming Yu, ignoring Yan An who was pushed aside, and said, “Mr. Fu, you do forget people easily. You truly don’t remember me?”