Oh?

Oh, what?

The cameras set up around them pointed at the cabin entrance, snapping a couple of shots. The focus of both eyes and lenses constantly reminded Ruan Sixian not to quarrel with this person.

She slightly forced a smile, striving to convey dignified mockery, then stepped aside slightly to make way for Fu Mingyu.

Fu Mingyu didn’t give her much of a glance either. When the cameras pointed at him, he nodded with a smile to the crew, saying, “Thank you for your hard work.”

He walked straight toward the passenger cabin. As he brushed past Ruan Sixian, he pressed the resume he was holding against his leg, making it look like an important document.

Several assistants hurried after him; only Bai Yang looked back at Ruan Sixian.

He didn’t know what Fu Mingyu’s former secretary had said, and his understanding remained at the level that Ruan Sixian had once been a flight attendant at World Airlines.

Nor did he understand why Fu Mingyu’s burning rage had transformed into a simple “Oh” after just one phone call.

Of course, it was also possible that extreme anger had turned into calmness, like the stillness before a storm.

Thinking of this, Bai Yang’s gaze grew increasingly complex.

After welcoming Fu Mingyu, the crew naturally needed to return to the cockpit.

Ruan Sixian turned to face Bai Yang’s inquiring gaze, only to see him hastily avert his eyes as if caught doing something wrong, quickening his pace to catch up with Fu Mingyu.

Reflecting on it, Ruan Sixian felt that Bai Yang’s gaze just now contained a hint of admiration, as well as some sympathy, and confusion at the same time.

Judging from Bai Yang’s reaction, Ruan Sixian felt that her hostility toward Fu Mingyu had indeed been expressed so undisguisedly, reaching such heights that even Bai Yang couldn’t bear it.

But so what?

She had come to World Airlines only for the money anyway. If Fu Mingyu couldn’t tolerate her attitude, he could violate the contract and fire her—plenty of airlines would welcome her with open arms, plus she’d get a hefty breach of contract compensation.

Thinking of this, Ruan Sixian felt considerably more comfortable.

The simplest trash talk, the most extreme enjoyment—that’s exactly this feeling.

But someone didn’t understand her feelings and, after witnessing her life-risking confrontation with the boss, felt a twinge of relief.

Jiang Ziyue, standing behind the crew, let out a long breath.

Ruan Sixian curled her lips and followed the captain and first officer into the cabin.

Fu Mingyu was the first to board, and at this time, only he and his people were in first class.

From a distance, Ruan Sixian could see Fu Mingyu’s back.

Following the captain past him through the aisle, she heard a low voice: “Ruan Sixian.”

Ruan Sixian pretended not to hear, walking away proudly. She was the last to enter the cockpit, and as she turned, she saw Fu Mingyu still looking at her.

She tilted her head slightly, closed the door, and locked it—the whole sequence executed flawlessly.

Fu Mingyu’s expression darkened again.

Bai Yang, who had been afraid to speak, saw Fu Mingyu pick up the resume again.

Thinking he was done with it, Bai Yang reached out to take it.

But Fu Mingyu opened the second page, scanning it once more from top to bottom, then handed the resume over at a leisurely pace.

“Put it away,” Fu Mingyu said to Bai Yang. “Where’s the maintenance department’s route maintenance support report for this month?”

Bai Yang was taken aback, accepted Ruan Sixian’s resume, tucked it into a folder, and pulled out another document.

Fu Mingyu lowered his head to look at it, not mentioning anything else.

Bai Yang glanced at the corner of the resume, then looked at Fu Mingyu’s expression.

He didn’t seem to be looking at the report at all. His gaze was fixed on one spot and hadn’t moved for several seconds, with frustration almost overflowing from his eyes.

Is this storm going to come down or not? Give me a straight answer!

Bai Yang unconsciously shifted a bit to the side, thinking that the seat design of this new aircraft model was truly reasonable—the first-class seats were far apart, so even if the storm did come, it wouldn’t drench him.

Before long, passengers gradually began to board.

Since many were invited by industry figures and media, many knew each other and chatted along the way, not forgetting to take notes with their equipment.

Additionally, on each person’s seat was a model of the ACJ31, in transparent packaging, allowing a clear view of its details.

When passengers came on board and saw this gift, everyone beamed with smiles, and discussions grew lively.

In this environment, Bai Yang remained silent, still anxiously waiting for the storm to arrive.

However, even after all passengers were seated, the cabin checked, and flight attendants warned of imminent takeoff, the storm beside him still hadn’t come.

After a while, Fu Mingyu said again, “Give me the resume.”

Bai Yang: “Hmm?”

Fu Mingyu: “The resume. Don’t you understand?”

“…”

Bai Yang, feeling wronged, took out the resume and handed it to Fu Mingyu.

He held it in his hand, reading it over and over.

The person in the resume photo displayed a standard eight-tooth smile, eyes curved, gradually evoking images from his memory.

“Want to be the boss’s wife?”

“You might as well dream.”

“…”

Even details that had been submerged in his mind all surged back, and Fu Mingyu even recalled the room card he had handed over that day on the yacht on the Thames.

“Here’s a chance for you.”

The alcohol must have gone to his head.

Fu Mingyu took a deep breath, his fingers unconsciously crumpling the resume.

“President Fu…”

As Bai Yang spoke, Fu Mingyu suddenly flipped the resume face down on the table, loosened his tie, and a wave of heat spread throughout his body.

He gazed heavily at the table and chair in front of him, not speaking.

But Bai Yang felt the irritability emanating from him.

Bai Yang instinctively shrank away, praying that Fu Mingyu wouldn’t take out on him the frustration he’d suffered from Ruan Sixian.

But fate had other plans. Fu Mingyu looked at Bai Yang, his gaze extremely stern.

Bai Yang nervously asked, “Is… there a problem?”

Fu Mingyu didn’t speak. Bai Yang swallowed and was about to explain the reasons he had prepared in his mind—why Fu Mingyu shouldn’t be angry with Yan An and should simply fire Ruan Sixian—when he heard Fu Mingyu ask, “Have you ever placated a woman?”

Meanwhile, in the cockpit, Captain Fan had finished checking the cabin list and said, “Request clearance.”

In the back row, Ruan Sixian took a deep breath, her back pressed tightly against the seat, and followed First Officer Yu, softly saying, “World Air 1569, requesting clearance, waiting at point H.”

Immediately, a voice from the control tower sounded in the headphones.

“World Air 1569, permission to enter the runway.”

The feeling of ground friction came, and the air in the cockpit seemed to stagnate for a moment.

Ruan Sixian looked at the instrument panel in front, gripped her hand tightly, and again followed First Officer Yu in a low voice.

“Entering runway, World Air 1569.”

“World Air 1569, preparing for departure.”

A slight static sound slid by her ear: “World Air 1569, cleared for takeoff, Runway 36L, contact departure control at 118.60 after takeoff, goodbye.”

Captain Fan in front smoothly pushed up the throttle lever, the aircraft engines roared, and immediately began racing down the runway.

Inertia caused Ruan Sixian to lean slightly forward, her heart in her throat.

Her back pressed tightly against the seat, and she could hear the rumbling sound even through the headphones.

“V1 reached.”

“V2 reached.”

“Vr reached.”

As First Officer Yu finished speaking, Ruan Sixian looked up at Captain Fan.

His gaze was calm as he slowly opened his mouth.

Ruan Sixian followed him closely, like an elementary school student following a teacher’s pronunciation, softly saying, “Rotation, takeoff.”

The nose lifted, and a sensation of tilt came over her.

At the moment the plane left the ground, Ruan Sixian felt as if every cell in her body had opened up, every pore excitedly clamoring, and even after the landing gear retracted, she hadn’t recovered from that excitement.

Fu Mingyu, Jiang Ziyue, annual salary or not—all were thrown to the back of her mind.

The city on the ground became smaller and smaller, the magnificent runways gradually shrinking into winding small rivers.

Ruan Sixian’s fingertips gripped the shoulder harness tightly, her vision gradually blurring.

She remembered four years ago, a kind-faced captain like Fan Mingzhi, who was operating a flight across the North Polar route.

At that time, she was still a flight attendant, delivering steak to the cockpit for the chief purser. As she bent to place it, that captain suddenly said, “Young lady, look up.”

In that moment of looking up.

She saw glaciers floating, fields crisscrossing, vast expanses extending to the horizon.

As if from the boundless distance, aurora borealis rose from the ground, multicolored, bursting forth, with the night transformed into a backdrop.

She had seen the aurora through the cabin window before, like a boat passing under a bridge, only glimpsing a corner.

But in the cockpit, she could see the entire aurora from the one-meter-wide window.

That was a view only visible from the cockpit.

When vomiting in the fixed wheel, when feeling her arms about to break during pull-ups, when doing somersaults in the trampoline net until dizzy, she had seen that aurora in her mind’s eye.

Even today, with dark clouds ahead, Ruan Sixian seemed to see the aurora again.

She rubbed her eyes, composed herself, and the captain in front, without turning his head, raised a thumbs-up behind him.

Ruan Sixian called softly, “Master.”

Captain Fan smiled and continued to focus on the instrument panel.

Half an hour later, the aircraft entered cruise mode and the autopilot was engaged.

Captain Fan turned sideways and said, “Xiao Yu, you take the pilot’s seat. Xiao Ruan, you go to the co-pilot’s seat. I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Me?” Ruan Sixian pointed at herself. “I can go to the co-pilot’s seat today?”

“Try it out, your Senior Yu is here, don’t worry.” Captain Fan had already unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

Ruan Sixian sat in the co-pilot’s seat, fastened her seatbelt, and carefully touched the instrument panel in front of her.

Once in autopilot mode, the cockpit became much more relaxed, and the captain and first officer usually chatted a bit.

First Officer Yu put on his oxygen mask and smiled, “The way you look at the instrument panel is like my girlfriend looking at handbags.”

Ruan Sixian immediately withdrew her hand.

“I’ve only ever been in the pilot’s seat in a simulator before. This is my first time, I’m a bit excited. Don’t laugh at me, Senior.”

“I’m not laughing at you.” First Officer Yu lifted his chin. “Want something to drink?”

Ruan Sixian nodded, and First Officer Yu called Jiang Ziyue through the PA system.

She opened the cockpit door and asked, “Do you need anything?”

“I want a bottle of mineral water.” First Officer Yu turned to ask Ruan Sixian, “What about you?”

Ruan Sixian’s mind was completely on the instrument panel, and she didn’t even turn her head. “I want a cup of coffee.”

Jiang Ziyue looked at Ruan Sixian’s back, frowned slightly, pursed her lips, and left.

A few minutes later, she came in with a tray.

“First Officer Yu, your mineral water.”

Then she looked at Ruan Sixian, opened her mouth, not knowing what to call her, “Your coffee.”

Ruan Sixian took it, said “thank you,” took a sip, and immediately turned around, “Too hot, get me another one.”

Jiang Ziyue paused, reached out to take the cup, said nothing, and went straight out.

Shortly after, she came in again with coffee.

Without speaking, Ruan Sixian took the coffee from her hand, tasted it, and smiled, “This is right, thank you.”

Jiang Ziyue smiled stiffly and turned to leave.

“She seems a bit strange,” First Officer Yu rubbed his chin. “Was she troubled by a passenger?”

“Who knows.” Ruan Sixian put down her coffee and said no more.

Captain Fan returned in ten minutes, bringing three small cakes.

“Today’s commemorative cakes. I brought three, one for each of us.”

After distributing them to First Officer Yu and Ruan Sixian, he added, “There are many media in the cabin, it’s quite lively.”

Ruan Sixian heard this but showed no interest. “I’m going to the restroom.”

She quietly opened the cabin door. Flight attendants were pushing carts and serving cake, creating a bustling scene, and no one noticed her.

A few minutes later, Ruan Sixian opened the bathroom door and was surprised to see Fu Mingyu standing outside.

He had taken off his jacket and was wearing only a smoke-gray shirt, standing straight, tall, and upright—quite pleasing to the eye.

But no matter how handsome someone is, it’s quite strange when they appear in front of you right after you’ve used the bathroom.

Ruan Sixian gripped the door, not stepping out.

Fu Mingyu also looked at her, wordlessly, with emotions subtly shifting in his eyes.

“Need something again?”

Ruan Sixian asked.

The word “again” irritated Fu Mingyu, especially as she stood in the bathroom looking at him as if he were some kind of pervert.

If he hadn’t caught sight of her in the crowd just now, why would he bother standing at the bathroom door waiting for her?

“Come out.”

Fu Mingyu said in a deep voice, his tone quite urgent.

Ruan Sixian looked him up and down, frowning tightly.

“That urgent? President Fu, your kidneys must be failing.”

“…”

Can’t be placated.