The word “marriage” was very foreign to Ruan Sixian.

At least in her first twenty-six years of life, she had never actively engaged with this concept.

At this age, many of her friends were indeed discussing marriage, and she had attended numerous weddings.

But when placing herself within this concept, it felt empty and blank, with no clear meaning.

However, when Fu Mingyu said “Marry him” and uttered the word “husband,” many images suddenly flooded her mind.

She woke up in the morning, opened her eyes, and saw him.

On a rainy evening, a lamp lit for her in the room.

A biting winter day, snowflakes dancing outside the window, leaning against each other on the sofa, music blaring from the television.

…

The images collided chaotically and without a pattern, piecing together a scroll of the future.

“Wait—”

Ruan Sixian suddenly spoke, looking around, then abruptly pushed Fu Mingyu away and ran toward the bedroom.

“Why are you running?”

When Fu Mingyu chased after her, the door slammed shut, blocking him outside.

“Where are you?”

Fu Mingyu knocked on the door. “Come out.”

A voice came from inside, “Don’t talk!”

One minute, two minutes, three minutes… ten minutes passed.

Fu Mingyu leaned against the door, hearing slight movements inside, occasional footsteps, but had no idea what she was doing.

In the hot afternoon without air conditioning, a wave of heat surged through his body, yet he carefully asked, “What exactly are you doing?”

“I told you to wait!”

The noon sunlight filtered through the physical space, passing through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground that swayed gently with the wind.

Fu Mingyu paced back and forth in the living room, reached up to loosen his tie, and tilted his neck to let out a breath.

He looked toward the bedroom, but she still hadn’t come out.

His phone rang several times, it was a friend calling.

Fu Mingyu glanced at it, hung up, tossed the phone aside, walked a few more steps, and unbuttoned his collar to catch his breath.

The living room clock ticked away, the windows were open, and gusts of hot wind blew in, making it hard to breathe.

He even began to question her thoughts, wondering if he had moved too quickly.

After who knows how long, Fu Mingyu held the diamond ring that hadn’t been put on, paced around the small living room a few times, frowned at her bedroom door, paused, then crossed over in two or three steps, knocking with some force.

“Open the door!”

The door didn’t move. Fu Mingyu pressed his tongue against his back teeth, staring intently at the door for a few seconds, then raised his hand while saying, “Ruan Sixian, you—”

The door suddenly pulled open inward. Fu Mingyu’s raised hand missed its target. The bright light in his contracted pupils was like the center of a whirlpool in the sea, but the moment he saw her, it silently spread out, flowing quietly in his eyes.

Ruan Sixian propped her hand against the door, wearing a white flowing dress that gently clung to her skin, outlining her graceful curves.

The wind seemed to suddenly stop, resting quietly on Ruan Sixian’s shoulders, brushing the hair beside her face.

She had hidden in the room for an hour, sitting in front of the mirror carefully applying makeup and changing into her newly bought dress.

It might seem unnecessary to others, but she wanted that in future days, whenever she recalled today, she would be at her most beautiful.

She looked up at Fu Mingyu, allowing his gaze to linger on her.

“Let’s start over, that doesn’t count.”

Fu Mingyu kept his eyes lowered on her, with undercurrents flowing in his gaze.

“Hmm? Start what over?”

“Hurry up.” Ruan Sixian reached out and lightly tugged at his tie. “Do it over again.”

Fu Mingyu bent down, leaned close to her face, his lips curled in a smile, and slowly kissed her.

“What are you doing!” Ruan Sixian pushed against his chest, “That’s not what I meant!”

But the man before her completely ignored her, holding the back of her neck, deepening the kiss step by step.

“Don’t try to get away with this!”

Ruan Sixian continued pushing him, but he held her tightly, and when she tried to kick, he took another step forward, pinning her against the door so she couldn’t move.

Cicadas chirped incessantly, accompanied by the sound of his breathing near Ruan Sixian’s ear, sometimes distant, sometimes close. This afternoon was as dreamlike as a mirage, but his kiss was more real than any before, unrelated to desire, but rather his devout expression.

After a long while, he stopped, pressing his forehead against Ruan Sixian’s, gazing into her eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something but paused when he noticed her lowered eyelashes, and stepped back, slowly kneeling on one knee.

Although she could predict his next move, when she saw him kneeling on one knee, Ruan Sixian’s chest tightened with an indescribable feeling.

She had thought such gestures only existed in imagination.

What a proud person he was.

Yet those deep eyes were filled with unparalleled devotion.

Ruan Sixian’s mind buzzed, her hands behind her back nervously clutching her clothes, every nerve in her body tense.

That pink diamond was almost blinding her.

“Marry me, I’ll give you a home.”

Hearing these words, Ruan Sixian’s hands suddenly relaxed, and every cell in her body settled comfortably into a soft cradle.

That afternoon, Ruan Sixian took Fu Mingyu to the cemetery.

Before leaving, this flamboyant man insisted on going upstairs to change his clothes.

Ruan Sixian looked him up and down, “What’s the difference from what you were wearing before?”

“I’ve been on a plane all day, it’s a bit dirty.”

He took the car keys and walked leisurely toward the garage, looking back with a smile, “Meeting the parents, one should be clean and tidy.”

The cemetery was still quiet.

The old caretaker responsible for cleaning recently must have been sleeping in, because despite it being summer, there were many fallen leaves on the ground.

Ruan’s father’s tombstone stood in an inconspicuous place, the man in the photo had gentle features, yet his eyes revealed a hidden strength.

Fu Mingyu held a bouquet of lilies and said quietly, “Dad doesn’t look like a Chinese teacher.”

“He was a soldier before…” Ruan Sixian suddenly looked up, met his calm gaze, and choked up without saying anything further.

He called him “Dad” so naturally.

“Dad.” Ruan Sixian placed the lilies in front of the tombstone. “Happy birthday.”

Bending over, she glanced at Fu Mingyu and whispered, “This is my boyfriend.”

“Hmm?” Fu Mingyu said, “What did you just say?”

Ruan Sixian, “…”

“This is my fiancé.”

He took Ruan Sixian’s hand and quietly looked at the tombstone.

Most of the time, Fu Mingyu was a man of few words.

Ruan Sixian didn’t know what he was thinking at that moment and didn’t speak, but they stood there for a long time.

They only left the cemetery when the sun was setting.

On the way back, Fu Mingyu’s phone kept ringing.

He answered a few calls but didn’t say much. Ruan Sixian only heard words like “mm,” “okay,” and “reschedule to tomorrow.”

Having just returned to the country, there were many urgent matters to hand over and deal with, making this period busier than ever before.

But he still postponed some work to have dinner with Ruan Sixian before leaving.

Back home, Ruan Sixian changed her clothes, lay in bed, and held out her hand under the spotlight, looking at the sparkling ring on her ring finger.

Ah.

A diamond ring.

So big.

Ruan Sixian’s expression was calm, but her heart was turbulent.

That night, she went to bed very late. In her drowsy state, she felt the bed sink on one side.

She didn’t open her eyes but detected the scent of shower gel.

The person beside her carefully lay down, covered her with the blanket, and embraced her.

When his breathing steadied, Ruan Sixian snuggled closer, and hugged his waist, her lips curving into a smile as she whispered, “Husband.”

Her voice was so faint it was almost a breath, escaping from under the covers, yet it echoed several times in Fu Mingyu’s ears.

He lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep, pretending to be asleep so convincingly, unaware that her eyelashes were trembling slightly.

“Which man are you dreaming about?” Fu Mingyu asked softly at the top of her head, “Mrs. Fu?”

On the afternoon of Zheng You’an and Yan An’s engagement party, there was a heavy downpour.

By evening, the sudden rain had stopped, and the sunset unexpectedly appeared, with golden clouds surging at the horizon.

The car carrying Fu Mingyu and Ruan Sixian slowly pulled up at the entrance of the Warner Manor banquet hall.

After they got out, they looked back and saw another car approaching at close distance.

Fu Mingyu raised his chin, pulling Ruan Sixian back a step.

“Let’s wait for them.”

Ruan Sixian held Fu Mingyu’s arm and looked over.

This car carried He Lanxiang and Fu Chengyu.

Since their brief meeting at the airport on New Year’s Eve, Ruan Sixian had barely had any contact with Fu Chengyu.

According to Fu Mingyu, upon his return, he had taken charge of Hengshi Aviation Financial Leasing Company, with a clear division of labor with Fu Mingyu, so there was no truth to the rumors of power struggles between them.

But because of this, he had hardly appeared at the World Aviation building.

Meanwhile, He Lanxiang had invited Ruan Sixian to dinner at Huguang Mansion once, but Fu Chengyu was leaving just as she arrived.

Fu Chengyu’s gaze swept over Ruan Sixian and Fu Mingyu before he said, “When are you completely moving out? I’ve had my eye on your study for a long time.”

Fu Mingyu, “Anytime.”

He Lanxiang, hearing this from behind, raised her eyebrows and laughed coldly.

They say a married daughter is like spilled water, but a son whose heart has been stolen is like a river flowing to the sea, never to return.

The event was filled with well-dressed people and brilliant lights. Zheng You’an in her golden dress was particularly eye-catching.

With every movement, her dress shimmered, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.

Yan An, whom she was holding, wore a black formal suit, and together they looked the part.

“Mr. Yan looks quite handsome today.”

Ruan Sixian said softly.

“Oh?” Fu Mingyu tilted his head to look at her. “Having regrets?”

Ruan Sixian looked directly at them, keeping a straight face. “Even if I regretted it, there’s no chance now.”

Fu Mingyu chuckled softly, “Even if there were a chance, it wouldn’t be allowed.”

Ruan Sixian’s gaze fell on Zheng You’an’s dress again.

Although it was the second time seeing this dress, she was still amazed by it.

Who wouldn’t love such sparkly things?

Especially when they sparkled with such understated luxury.

She sighed softly.

“This dress is truly beautiful under the lights.”

Fu Mingyu put his arm around her shoulder and walked to the side, “It’s all right.”

As they spoke, Zheng You’an and Yan An approached with both sets of parents.

He Lanxiang had been discreetly observing the couple, but immediately changed her expression. “Congratulations, Mrs. Zheng, look how well-matched the new couple is.”

Just as she finished speaking, Yan An accidentally stepped on Zheng You’an’s dress, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. After being hurriedly steadied by Yan An, she smiled without humor and said, “Be careful, dear, is the dress bothering your feet?”

Yan An, “…”

Dong Xian’s expression changed slightly nearby, but fortunately, the people on He Lanxiang’s side were well aware of their situation and played along with their facade of prosperity, pretending the two were a perfect match who had naturally come together.

“Slow down, slow down. Yan An, hold onto your fiancée properly.”

This didn’t need to be said, as Zheng You’an’s hand was already in Yan An’s palm, that pigeon egg-sized diamond almost outshining the venue’s lights.

He Lanxiang glanced at it and smiled, “That ring really shows thoughtfulness.”

Ruan Sixian followed her gaze and looked at it, her pupils shaking.

“…”

Damn, isn’t that a bit too big? Is it really a pigeon’s egg on her hand?

He Lanxiang caught her gaze and thought she was envious.

After the hosts had greeted all the guests, He Lanxiang touched the ring on her hand and said, “Actually, diamonds aren’t better just because they’re bigger. A few months ago, I saw a fancy pink diamond in South Africa, GIA-certified as a vivid fancy pink diamond. In my opinion, a wedding ring should be meaningful like that—pure, with a refined shape, beautiful on the hand. Unfortunately, after great effort to buy it, some bastard quietly snatched it away. I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if I find something suitable.”

Hearing this, Fu Chengyu turned his head to look at the little bastard beside him.

The little bastard maintained a poker face, raising his arm casually to walk past He Lanxiang with Ruan Sixian.

And the exquisite pink diamond on Ruan Sixian’s hand, cut and set, flashed past He Lanxiang.

He Lanxiang belatedly realized that the pink diamond looked familiar, and her temple suddenly began to throb.

The pigeon egg on Zheng You’an’s hand truly attracted attention wherever she went.

Near the end of the banquet, even in the corridor, Ruan Sixian could hear people discussing the pigeon egg.

“Young Mr. Yan is so generous. That ring on Zheng You’an’s hand is so big, I’m afraid her hand must be tired.”

“Tired hand? That’s nothing compared to the heartache Zheng You’an will have later.”

“When you put it that way, it is pitiful. Young Mr. Yan is such a playboy, and now the Zheng family is just an empty shell. He’ll do whatever he wants.”

Yan An stood beside Zheng You’an, hearing every word clearly.

He noticed Zheng You’an lowering her eyes, felt irritated, and his eyes flashed with anger. He was about to walk over when Zheng You’an grabbed him.

She adjusted her gloves, swinging her pigeon egg ring as she walked over with a smile.

“Pitiful? My fiancé has more money than your husbands, looks better than your husbands, and even if I divorced him, I’d get more money than you could earn in a lifetime. What’s pitiful about that?”

The gossipers froze, staring blankly at the couple before them.

Yan An didn’t look at them, just gave Zheng You’an a faint glance, and led her away.

On the way, something occurred to him, and he sneered, “Not even married yet, and you’re already talking about divorce.”

“Just in case, so people won’t call me a discarded wealthy family bride.” Zheng You’an looked up at him. “Right, Brother Yan An?”

Meanwhile, He Lanxiang finally realized that the silent bastard who had snatched away her beloved diamond was her own son.

After taking time to digest this fact, she accepted it when she thought about it being for Ruan Sixian.

Once she accepted it, she began to worry about other things.

“Such a big matter and you didn’t even discuss it beforehand. With your taste, what if you got something tacky like a pigeon egg? How vulgar.”

That night, He Lanxiang couldn’t sleep at all.

Early the next morning, she produced a wedding plan to satisfy her long-buried designer soul.

But when the two people involved looked at her plan, they shook their heads and said no.

“What’s wrong? Is it not beautiful enough or not grand enough?”

He Lanxiang slammed the plan on the table. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong with it.”

Ruan Sixian naturally passed this question to Fu Mingyu.

“There’s no rush,” Fu Mingyu said. “She wants to wait until next year after she becomes a captain.”

“Ah?”

He Lanxiang was only stunned for a moment before quickly understanding. “That makes sense, you’re an F3 now, right? Indeed busy. A wedding needs proper planning, and shouldn’t be rushed. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Besides this, Fu Mingyu did another thing.

At the end of September, during Ruan Sixian’s quarterly leave, Fu Mingyu took her to a Paris workshop of House D for measurements and to custom-order a wedding dress.

A haute couture piece requires the dedication of countless designers and craftsmen, and the price naturally reflects this.

Every floating golden thread and surging starlight in the design seemed to be screaming, “I’m expensive, I’m expensive!”

Even without seeing the finished product, Ruan Sixian was already dizzy.

“This will take a long time to complete, right?”

When they boarded the return flight, Ruan Sixian’s mind was still filled with images of the wedding dress. “When will I see the finished product?”

Fu Mingyu was half-reclined in his seat, smiling slightly. “Are you eager to marry me or eager to wear the wedding dress?”

Isn’t that a ridiculous question?

“Is there a difference?”

Fu Mingyu turned to look at her, with a faint smile. “Don’t rush. Although it takes a long time, it’s worth it.”

He reached out to brush her hair. “Whatever others have, you will have too. I won’t let you envy anyone.”

Later, Ruan Sixian belatedly realized that Fu Mingyu was referring to Zheng You’an’s dress.

She lowered her head, her fingers hooking Fu Mingyu’s collar.

“Who envies others? Don’t make things up.”

The wedding dress was far away in Paris, being stitched together one thread at a time, gradually taking shape.

Time also flowed slowly with the threading of the needle.

That year, Ruan Sixian was busy, but fulfilled.

She passed the F4 exam, gained experience on high-altitude routes, went through the left-seat co-pilot phase, and finally welcomed her captain’s test in mid-July.

After spending several days completing the theoretical exams, going through retraining, and passing the physical, Ruan Sixian faced her final simulator test.

Before that, she had already seen the name of her ground instructor.

Ren Xu.

If He Lanfeng was the nightmare of pilots in the sky, then Ren Xu was the disaster on the ground.

This instructor was notorious for being extreme, nicknamed “Burger King” because he excelled at stacking multiple failures in simulator tests, like layering a burger.

Although simulator training is meant to develop pilots’ ability to respond to various emergencies, his additions were too severe. If encountered in the air, the plane would simply disintegrate.

As a result, the pass rate for captain certification under him was appallingly low. Some had tried underhanded methods in the past few years, like slipping red envelopes.

The result was not even getting into the simulator.

So when others learned that Ruan Sixian’s instructor for the captain’s test was him, they gave her sympathetic looks and subtly suggested she could ask Fu Mingyu for help.

Ruan Sixian had held her head high at the time.

“I absolutely will not.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to admiration.

The future president’s wife had such integrity.

Actually, integrity was only part of the reason.

Another part was that Fu Mingyu had been relatively free lately, with abundant energy. If she had asked for his help, the price she might have to pay could be somewhat unbearable.

Besides, she was confident she could pass, so why ask Fu Mingyu?

At three in the afternoon, Ruan Sixian and her partner stood in front of the cockpit, listening to Ren Xu’s briefing.

Ren Xu didn’t say much, just a few simple sentences.

“The first stripe on your shoulder represents professionalism, the second knowledge, the third flight technique, and today your goal is the fourth stripe—responsibility. A captain is not only the highest authority on the plane but also bears responsibility for the entire crew, passengers, and the aircraft’s safety. Becoming a captain means not betraying this responsibility, maintaining a lifelong learning and rigorous attitude, using professionalism, knowledge, and technique as weapons to safeguard safety at 30,000 meters altitude.”

“As for errors.” He turned to look at the simulator. “Humans make mistakes, that’s objective fact, which is why we have a two-person crew system. Every environment can potentially loosen the safety chain, leading to an accident chain. What a captain must do is try to reduce the probability of accidents before they happen, and turn the tide when they do occur.”

As Ren Xu turned, Ruan Sixian’s partner exchanged a glance with her.

—Turn the tide? How intense will it be?

—Who knows?

After speaking, Ren Xu’s gaze fell on Ruan Sixian.

“Ruan Sixian?” He flipped through the record sheet in his hand. “Oh, last year’s captain incapacitation, emergency landing in heavy rain, that was you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Let me see what you can do.”

I…

Ruan Sixian didn’t particularly want to show him.

As soon as the test began, they experienced what “Burger King” meant, immediately facing a major challenge, a “roll cloud” gift package.

After the plane “entered” the roll cloud, the fuselage tilted like in a spin, leaned back, then tilted in the opposite direction and back again.

Just as they barely stabilized the aircraft, Ren Xu gently pressed a key, creating a crack in the hydraulic line. The entire hydraulic system immediately showed failure, and the plane began to thrash about in the air like a car without a steering wheel.

The simulator, designed to provide a 100% realistic experience, replicated the cockpit interior at a 1:1 scale. The instruments, equipment, and materials were identical to a real passenger aircraft, including the weightlessness during takeoff and landing, and turbulence. So shortly after takeoff, Ruan Sixian’s partner was already pale-faced from the jolting.

Ruan Sixian’s forehead began to sweat, and she felt her stomach churning.

She sensed trouble but was determined enough to work with her partner using the engine thrust control system, manipulating the thrust on both sides of the plane to achieve ascent, descent, and turning.

However, soon after, the expressionless Ren Xu in the back row delivered his second challenge.

“Aircraft body damaged, low pressure in high altitude thin air, now the pressure difference between inside and outside the cabin is too great, emergency pressurization required.” Ruan Sixian’s voice was hoarse. “We must descend to 3,000 meters within 10 minutes, or the oxygen masks won’t sustain the cabin passengers, putting them at risk of suffocation.”

In the back row, Ren Xu nodded like an emotionless machine, still expressionless, acting as air traffic control and conducting ground-to-air communication with Ruan Sixian.

These were just appetizers from Ren Xu, followed by instrument failures and cabin air leaks as soup courses, then cumulus rain and typhoons as main courses.

By this point, not only the two pilots in the front row, but even Ren Xu, who was accustomed to turbulence, felt nauseous.

But he was stubborn and generous, wanting to give Ruan Sixian a three-star Michelin dessert during landing.

After the decompression cycle during landing, Ren Xu, fighting his churning stomach, set up an engine blade metal fatigue fracture causing one engine to disintegrate, along with hydraulic system failure.

In this situation, Ruan Sixian’s partner seemed to see a blood-red warning—crash alert.

Ruan Sixian didn’t know how she had fought with the aircraft for nearly twenty minutes with her stomach violently churning. When the ground slowly appeared in her vision, she was almost operating the control stick by pure bodily instinct.

With a “bang,” she couldn’t clearly distinguish whether the impact was a landing or a crash.

When everything quieted down, she heard vomiting sounds from behind her right side, like blades stimulating her brain nerves.

The light outside the simulator was so bright she couldn’t see anything.

That was her only sensation as she walked out.

Then her vision blurred, her limbs lost feeling, and she collapsed toward the ground.

However, the expected impact with the floor never came.

Before losing consciousness, she smelled a familiar cold fir scent.

I’m done for.

I’m finished.

That was her last thought.

The sunlight’s glow silently slid from the center of the room to the corner. Through the haze, Ruan Sixian heard people talking.

She slowly opened her eyes, looked around, and saw only white.

As her consciousness gradually returned, her vision cleared.

Fu Mingyu had been talking to a nurse, but suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned around to see Ruan Sixian looking around in confusion.

He walked to the bedside and bent down to check her forehead.

“Awake?”

Ruan Sixian didn’t respond, not even moving her eyes.

“What happened to me?”

“You fainted.”

Ruan Sixian’s heart sank.

She was truly done for.

But Fu Mingyu’s expression wasn’t so grim. He brushed aside the scattered hair near Ruan Sixian’s neck to make her more comfortable.

“What did you eat for lunch today?”

“I…” Ruan Sixian’s mind wasn’t working, answering like a robot. “Shared a boxed lunch from Ni Tong’s mother.”

Fu Mingyu, “Mm, don’t share other people’s food anymore.”

Ruan Sixian stared at him, not blinking.

Fu Mingyu turned calmly and walked toward the cabinet.

“Don’t leave,” Ruan Sixian raised her hand slightly. “Did I… crash?”

“You just fainted from food poisoning, it has nothing to do with the test.”

His voice was calm.

“Hmm?”

Ruan Sixian was confused. “What?”

“You didn’t crash.”

Fu Mingyu turned around, holding something in his hand. “You passed.”

The hospital room was silent as Ruan Sixian stared at Fu Mingyu walking toward her.

He raised his hand, removed the three-stripe epaulet from her uniform.

And personally replaced it with a new epaulet.

His finger gently brushed over the fourth stripe, his eyes lowered as he smiled.

“Congratulations, Captain Ruan.”