The two ACJ31 aircraft assigned to the Jiang City base sparked heated discussions throughout Heng World Airlines. Although everyone had previously seen images in promotional videos, actually seeing the aircraft’s shape in person was truly stunning.

With one week left until the ACJ31’s maiden flight, many domestic route flight attendants began checking the internal network backend to see who the lucky ones would be. After all, the maiden flight had special significance and would certainly receive media coverage. It also indicated that superiors trusted those assigned to the maiden flight the most.

However, Jiang Ziyue was the most composed among all the chief flight attendants. A few days ago, when she went to Wang Lekang’s office to get her flight assignment, she bent down and saw her name in the folder beside his hand. Knowing her position was secure, she prepared for a happy vacation to Spain with Captain Yue.

This was also a short break for her after transferring from international flights to domestic flights.

Ni Tong didn’t understand this decision at all. International flights were so much better—longer vacations, higher salaries, and the opportunity to travel all over the world. Unlike her, who had been flying four segments locally and felt like she hadn’t seen much of the world.

But Jiang Ziyue was now in a passionate relationship with Captain Yue, and they were about to get engaged. Wanting to focus more on family was normal.

With such a fiancé, she might resign in a few years to become a full-time housewife.

Ni Tong felt a bit envious thinking about it. She also wanted to find a pilot boyfriend, but in such a large airline, there wasn’t anyone who caught her eye.

Speaking of pilots, Ni Tong suddenly sent Jiang Ziyue a message.

“Master, did you know that the pilot who flew the ACJ31 here today is a woman?”

If Ni Tong had heard about it, how could Jiang Ziyue not know?

“Yes, I know. Why?”

Her master was so calm that Ni Tong immediately felt she was making a fuss over nothing. Look how composed she was.

“Oh, nothing, just mentioning it. Have a nice trip.”

Seeing that Jiang Ziyue had no desire to chat, Ni Tong could only drop the subject and return to her room to continue drinking with friends.

Early the next morning, before the sun came up, a lingering drizzle awakened the city.

It was always like this during the returning south weather pattern—the air always had a mist that wouldn’t disperse, and clothes couldn’t dry even when hung out.

Fortunately, Ruan Sixian had just returned to Jiang City, and her clothes hadn’t been put away in the closet yet. Her intimate garments were still neatly packed in boxes, and she could just take them out, iron them, and wear them.

Her newly rented apartment was in a high-end complex that had been completed last year. Its moisture-proofing was excellent, with no signs of dampness on the walls. Moreover, because it was close to the airport, many airline executives and captains had temporary residences there. The captain who had flown the plane back with her the other day also lived here.

The weather was still cold. Ruan Sixian took out a hoodie and pulled it over her head, and when her head emerged, her hair stood on end.

Seeing herself like this, Ruan Sixian couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the mirror.

Thinking carefully, she realized she had truly been hard on herself.

When she first entered the flight academy, the daily physical training was so brutal that even several men couldn’t bear it.

Especially during the fixed roller training, where people were placed in a metal frame and spun around in circles, repeatedly accelerating. At first, Ruan Sixian also vomited until she was dizzy, staggering back to the dormitory not only to rinse her mouth but also to clean the mess she had thrown up on her hair.

Later she discovered that just taking care of her hair took much more time than other male students, so she resolutely sat down at a hair salon.

She had nurtured this thick, smooth long hair for more than a decade. Under her careful maintenance, even after getting a perm, it didn’t tangle or split. So the hairdresser repeatedly stroked her hair, reluctantly asking, “Miss, are you sure you want to cut it?”

Ruan Sixian nodded and said yes.

Then, hearing the scissors go “snip,” Ruan Sixian closed her eyes and drew in a sharp breath, her brow slightly trembling.

With a few snips, strands of long hair fell to the ground. As the weight on her head became lighter and lighter, Ruan Sixian’s eyes closed tighter and tighter.

When she opened her eyes and saw the ear-length hair in the mirror, she almost fainted.

She might as well consider herself a person who has gained experience now.

Ruan Sixian looked at her hair, which had now grown back to shoulder length. Just as she finished reminiscing and was about to leave, her phone suddenly made two beeping sounds.

She picked it up to look—it was a WeChat message from Bai Yang.

[Bai Yang]: Are you reporting for duty this morning? [Bai Yang]: The airport expressway is particularly congested this morning. You’d better leave early or take a detour.

They had politely added each other on WeChat when signing the contract at the flight academy. Ruan Sixian had thought this person would be like his boss, quietly lying in her contact list for life, but unexpectedly, he was quite nice, taking the initiative to show concern.

Ruan Sixian was about to type when another message came from him.

[Bai Yang]: Where do you live? How about I pick you up on my way?

Ruan Sixian thought for a moment and asked: Are you alone?

[Bai Yang]: I’m in President Fu’s car, near Mingchen Apartments.

[Ruan Sixian]: Then I’m not on your way.

Not being on the way was simply not being on the way, but that “Then” was quite telling. Bai Yang automatically understood Ruan Sixian’s meaning to be that she wasn’t on the route from Mingchen Apartments to World Airlines.

“She’s not on the route near Mingchen Apartments,” Bai Yang turned to tell Fu Mingyu in the back seat.

Fu Mingyu nodded without saying anything.

The car slowly stopped at the community exit. While waiting for the barrier to open, Fu Mingyu looked up through the car window, his gaze suddenly pausing.

Bai Yang saw Fu Mingyu watching something in the rearview mirror and curiously followed his line of sight.

The tall woman standing by the roadside flower bed, holding an umbrella, seemingly waiting for a car—who else could it be but Ruan Sixian?

The car suddenly fell into a silence like death.

Wasn’t she not on the way?

Could it be that she didn’t recognize the prominently displayed “Mingchen Apartments” four large characters?

Bai Yang coughed, opened his iPad, pulled up a meeting record, and handed it to Fu Mingyu, pretending nothing had happened.

“President Fu, these are the minutes from yesterday’s meeting.”

Fu Mingyu took the iPad, flipped through a couple of pages, and suddenly said, “When you went to the flight academy, did you offend her?”

Bai Yang immediately recalled his every word and action at that time. He felt that he had always been graceful, articulate, never confrontational, and was even somewhat handsome. How could he have offended her?

Before he could answer, Fu Mingyu continued, “Be more mindful of your behavior in the future. Don’t embarrass me.”

Bai Yang: “…”

Well then, if the boss said it was his problem, it was his problem.

“Understood. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Ruan Sixian completely failed to notice the Cayenne slowly driving away in front of her. Seeing that the rain had stopped, she put away her umbrella into her bag. When she looked up again, a taxi slowly pulled over.

Ruan Sixian checked the license plate to confirm it was the one she had booked.

Just as she was about to walk over, a woman suddenly darted out and, getting ahead of Ruan Sixian, opened the front passenger door.

Her movement was so abrupt that it startled Ruan Sixian, making her step back.

“Driver, to Heng World Airlines.”

Ruan Sixian was stunned by this maneuver. After coming to her senses, she immediately grabbed the door that was about to be closed, “Excuse me, this is the taxi I called.”

The woman was busy fastening her seatbelt and didn’t even look at Ruan Sixian. “Could you let me go first? I’m in a hurry and about to be late for a meeting!”

“No.”

Ruan Sixian had one hand on the car door and one hand on the car roof. “Please get out.”

Ni Tong tugged at the seatbelt, her eyes anxious and her tone impatient. She tried to pull the door, but found that the woman in front of her was surprisingly strong—she couldn’t move it at all.

Ni Tong had no choice but to press her hands together in a pleading gesture. “Could you please wait a little longer? Please help me. I have a very important meeting.”

Early this morning, there had been a safety incident with an aircraft, and World Airlines had immediately sent messages organizing a safety lecture, requiring all cabin crew members who were not on flying duty to attend.

“No,” Ruan Sixian stood blocking the car door, her tone unfriendly. “I also have something very important.”

In truth, Ruan Sixian wasn’t in a hurry. If this woman had asked nicely from the beginning, she would have let her go.

But to just snatch the car—no way would she yield.

“Please, sister, help me just this once, consider it an act of kindness, okay?”

Seeing that Ruan Sixian wasn’t budging, Ni Tong softened her voice and tugged at her sleeve, unleashing a green tea attack: “Sister, please, help me, okay? I had dinner with some friends last night, drank a bit, and overslept this morning.”

Her coquettish tone didn’t move Ruan Sixian but made the driver laugh. “Miss, this is a car booked online. I can’t take you, or I’ll be breaking the rules.”

Ni Tong: “…”

At the same time, Ruan Sixian waved her phone at her, pursing her lips with a smile as if to say she had no choice either.

Ni Tong quickly looked back, and saw no taxis coming, but had no choice but to unbuckle her seatbelt.

As soon as she vacated the seat, Ruan Sixian sat down and slammed the door shut.

In that instant, Ni Tong heard the driver’s phone automatically announce: “Picked up a passenger with a number ending in 6233, from Mingchen Apartments to Heng World Airlines.”

“Damn it!” Ni Tong watched the car drive away, getting a mouthful of exhaust and stomped her foot in anger. “What kind of person is this!”

Fortunately, another taxi came soon. Ni Tong flagged it down and had the driver step on it all the way, managing to arrive before the deadline.

However, she didn’t expect to see that woman again at the elevator of Heng World Airlines headquarters.

Ruan Sixian was also quite surprised.

She turned her head to look at the woman standing beside her, also waiting for the elevator. It was a small world.

Looks like they would be colleagues.

“What a coincidence, you made it on time after all.”

Ni Tong didn’t expect that before she could speak, the person beside her would speak first.

It was interesting she was also coming to World Airlines, and yet in such a hurry, she wouldn’t give her a ride, insisting on leaving her with a mouthful of exhaust.

Ni Tong was fuming, and her words came out with a sarcastic tone, “Well, what a coincidence. You’re also coming to World Airlines?”

Ruan Sixian nodded with a smile: “Yes, I’m reporting to the Personnel Department.”

Ni Tong raised an eyebrow, openly sizing up Ruan Sixian.

The way she had gotten into the car earlier with that unyielding attitude—if one didn’t know better, they might think she was the CEO’s wife.

The elevator door opened, and just as Ni Tong was about to enter, Ruan Sixian beat her to it again.

Ni Tong had no patience left and laughed bitterly at the door.

“Did you just graduate?”

This time Ruan Sixian nodded.

Ni Tong laughed lightly and stepped in, “I thought so.”

—Only inexperienced newcomers would behave like this.

The two stood at opposite ends of the elevator, one pressing floor 12 for the Personnel Department, the other pressing floor 14 for the conference hall.

Ruan Sixian looked down at her phone, while Ni Tong stood with folded arms, watching her.

“Have you started training flights yet?”

“Not yet.”

Ni Tong was asking something she already knew the answer to.

New flight attendants would go through a period of training flights, and the senior flight attendant who trained them would be their master. Regardless of how positions changed in the future, there would always be a senior-junior relationship.

Moreover, she was a chief flight attendant.

“Although we had some unpleasantness at the apartment, I’m a magnanimous person, and there are some things I must point out to you.” Seeing that Ruan Sixian wasn’t responding, she walked in front of her, face to face. “In our line of work, seniority matters. You’re about to enter the training phase. Keep your eyes open, learn to be more considerate in the future, know the etiquette of respecting hierarchy, understand that seniors are seniors, and don’t always rush to be first, needlessly making your master unhappy.”

She pointed at the elevator door. “Places like elevators are one thing, but if you also insist on being first to board the aircraft, how will your master and chief flight attendant view you?”

Ruan Sixian looked up, meeting Ni Tong’s gaze for a moment.

Ni Tong felt even more displeased.

What are you looking at?

Before Ni Tong could react, Ruan Sixian burst out laughing with a “pfft.”

It took Ni Tong a moment to process.

This laugh, from any angle, had a sense of intelligence looking down at a child.

Ni Tong sighed, thinking that unless she spoke plainly, this person wouldn’t understand.

“Since we’ll be working together in the future, let’s formally introduce ourselves.”

Ni Tong extended her hand, saying solemnly, “Chief Flight Attendant of Cabin Service Department Four, Ni Tong.”

Ruan Sixian didn’t move, her gaze sweeping from Ni Tong’s face to her hand, calm and without any particular emotion.

Then she slowly raised her hand to grasp it.

“Sixth Team ACJ30 Pilot of the Flight Department, Ruan Sixian.”

Ni Tong’s hand trembled.

She stared at Ruan Sixian in disbelief, seemingly unable to believe what Ruan Sixian had said.

The elevator made a “ding” sound, reaching the twelfth floor.

Ruan Sixian withdrew her hand and walked out.

Before the elevator door closed, she turned back and said, “By the way, if you’re assigned to my flights in the future, it’s best not to drink alcohol within 24 hours before reporting for duty. I absolutely cannot tolerate flight attendants being late.”