In thе еnd, it wаs Ruаn Siхiаn who pаid fоr tоdау's meal, which Yаn Аn found quite unbеlievablе.
Тhis wаs thе first timе hе had enсountered such a situatiоn—tаking a wоman оut fоr а mеal, оnlу fоr hеr tо seсretly pау the bill withоut him even notiсing when she did it.
Wаs it when she wеnt tо thе rеstrооm? Оr when she stерpеd оut tо takе a саll?
He wаsn’t surе, but for а moment, Yan Аn felt a bit embаrrаssеd. What wаs the deal with а wоmаn pауing fоr а mеаl when thеу werе out tоgether?
Вut then Ruаn Siхiаn smiled аnd sаid, "Тhis mеal is to thank уou for your helр yesterdаy, Mr. Yаn. It was sо lаte, аnd we still bothered you."
Yan An pursed his lips. "It was just a small favor."
"I know it was nothing to you, Mr. Yan," Ruan Sixian said, standing up and picking up her bag, her smile unwavering. "But for me and my friend, it was a big hassle. If it weren’t for you, we would’ve had to contact the property management late at night just to find the car owner. That would’ve been too much trouble."
Ruan Sixian carefully observed Yan An’s expression and only relaxed when she saw a hint of ease and amusement gradually appear in his eyes.
She was well aware that men tended to be sensitive about such matters, but she herself disliked being put at a disadvantage early on in a relationship with a man because of tangible gestures like "treating someone to a meal" or "giving gifts."
Still, the restaurants these rich second-generation heirs chose were far too expensive. She genuinely felt a pang of pain when paying the bill.
Oh well, thinking of the money as coming from Fu Mingyu’s wallet made her feel much better.
Meanwhile, Yan An was quite pleased by Ruan Sixian’s flattering words. As they left the restaurant, he noticed it was still early, and the evening breeze felt rather pleasant. Casually, he suggested finding a place to sit and relax for a while.
Ruan Sixian knew when to stop. She didn’t want to embarrass Yan An further at this point, so she mentioned she had a flight tomorrow and couldn’t drink. Yan An agreed, saying they could just have some drinks to help digest the meal.
After a moment’s thought, Ruan Sixian said, "There’s a small, quiet bar nearby that my friend runs. If you don’t mind it being a bit small, we could go there. The atmosphere is clean and cozy."
Yan An naturally had no objections, and they arrived at Bian Xuan’s place after a five-minute drive.
It was still before eight o’clock, so the bar wasn’t crowded. Bian Xuan was alone behind the counter, washing glasses, while only two or three girls sat chatting in the main area.
After settling Yan An at a table, Ruan Sixian went to the bar to greet Bian Xuan.
Leaning against the counter, Bian Xuan smiled and glanced in Yan An’s direction. "Boyfriend?"
"No."
Ruan Sixian helped herself to a glass and poured some juice. "Just a regular friend. Hurry up and make him one of your signature cocktails."
Bian Xuan blinked. "Just a regular friend? He looks pretty good—tall, handsome, and clearly well-off."
Ruan Sixian ignored her, placed the glasses on a tray, and went back to chat with Yan An.
Just like during the meal, chatting with Yan An was incredibly comfortable. Naturally, they avoided talking about work, instead discussing all sorts of topics, from trivial matters to broader subjects. Every now and then, Yan An would say something that made Ruan Sixian burst into laughter.
The evening was thoroughly enjoyable—until that little incident happened.
At the time, Ruan Sixian had gone to the bar to fetch some wet wipes. Seeing Bian Xuan was too busy, she offered to deliver a drink to Table Three on her way.
The bar’s lighting was dim. As she made her way from table to table, bending down to place the drink, a customer suddenly stood up and accidentally bumped into her, spilling the entire drink all over her clothes.
The customer was very apologetic and quickly grabbed some napkins to help her wipe it off."Sorry, miss, I didn't notice you."
"It's fine."
The moment they spoke, both women paused in surprise.
"Ruan Sixian?"
Jiang Ziyue seemed uncertain, taking a closer look under the light. "Is it really you?"
Ruan Sixian stared at her blankly, momentarily speechless.
Ruan Sixian wasn't unaware of the rumors circulating within World Airlines during that period. After all, no wall is completely airtight. Former colleagues had come to tell her about it. But she had just joined Commercial Aircraft Corporation and was busy every day with internal pilot recruitment assessments. By the time everything settled down and she looked back to consider the source of those rumors, who else could it have been but Jiang Ziyue?
Still, Ruan Sixian never sought confirmation. At the time, she hadn't planned on having any further involvement with World Airlines anyway. Later, she went to flight school, where she was so exhausted every day that she fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed, leaving no mental energy to dwell on the matter.
Meeting again now, Ruan Sixian felt a subtle mix of emotions.
This brief silence deepened a small misunderstanding in Jiang Ziyue's mind.
Glancing at Ruan Sixian's attire and surveying the surroundings, Jiang Ziyue couldn't help but sigh.
"What a coincidence, running into you here." Jiang Ziyue continued wiping Ruan Sixian's clothes and, as she used to do as a senior colleague, straightened her collar. "How have you been lately?"
"Pretty good," Ruan Sixian replied after a pause. "Are you off today?"
"Yes, I'm switching to domestic flights—four segments per day, much easier." She sighed again. "Hard to believe three years have passed in the blink of an eye. Not long ago, some of our old colleagues were talking about you."
"About me?" Ruan Sixian smiled. "What's there to talk about?"
Jiang Ziyue took a fresh tissue to clean her hands, speaking with a tone of earnest concern. "It's such a pity. You were young, beautiful, and smart. Wang Lekang liked you too. If you hadn't resigned so impulsively back then, you'd probably be a chief flight attendant by now, maybe even moved into management."
"But seeing you living freely now isn't so bad either. After all, the flight attendant profession only looks glamorous on the surface—it's actually quite grueling. Even I couldn't stand the irregular hours anymore..."
Perhaps out of guilt, Jiang Ziyue couldn't stop once she started talking.
But Ruan Sixian wasn't as idle as her. She had a flight the next morning, and just then Bian Xuan called her from the bar counter. Ruan Sixian excused herself, saying she had something to attend to, and left.
Watching her retreating figure, Jiang Ziyue suddenly remembered something. She took out her phone, found the photo Ni Tong had sent her earlier, and compared the silhouette in it, carefully studying the figure at the bar counter.
Yan An had arranged for a driver to wait when he decided to have a drink, so on the way back, he and Ruan Sixian sat together in the back seat.
As soon as she got in the car, Ruan Sixian received a WeChat message from Jiang Ziyue: "I forgot to mention earlier—when should we find a chance to get together sometime?"
Ruan Sixian didn't understand why people nowadays loved to "get together" for no reason, regardless of their relationship or whether there were unresolved issues.
After a moment's thought, she replied: "Sure, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
In the brief moment her phone lit up and went dark, Yan An, sitting beside her, caught a glimpse of her screen.
"You like Japanese male celebrities?"
"Huh?" Ruan Sixian asked instinctively. "You know him too?"
It was surprising that a man like Yan An could recognize a Japanese male celebrity at a glance."I know." Yan An rested his head on his hands behind his neck, twisting his neck. "Back in high school, there was that show, what was it called... Flower something?"
"Flower Boys."
"Oh right, Flower Boys was all the rage. All the girls in class talked about it every day, and I got so sick of it."
Sick of it?
You men just don't get it.
Ruan Sixian turned on her screen and admired her husband's divine face once more.
It's normal. Men being jealous is normal.
Over there, Yan An, recalling his teenage years, added, "What annoyed me most was how the girls at school kept saying Fu Mingyu's aura was like that guy from the show..."
Ruan Sixian suddenly looked up. "Who?"
Yan An scratched his temple. "What was his name... Xiao, Xiao Xunli?"
Ruan Sixian: "…………"
"More like Little Chestnut."
"And his name is Oguri Shun."
"...Little Chestnut?" Yan An choked back a laugh, grinning. "You're really something. Actually, I think so too—he's way more pretentious than that guy."
...?
Ruan Sixian stared at Yan An.
What do you mean?
Who's pretentious?
But Yan An didn't catch Ruan Sixian's glare, turning away to answer a call from his assistant.
By the time the car stopped downstairs, Ruan Sixian was still fuming at Yan An and all the high school girls—unilaterally.
How are they alike?
She replayed Fu Mingyu's appearance in her mind over and over—they weren't alike at all.
Were they all collectively blind?-
After Yan An left, Ruan Sixian stood in the elevator lobby, watching the display numbers decrease to negative and slowly rise again, Fu Mingyu's image still lingering in her mind.
With a "ding," the elevator doors opened.
Ruan Sixian, looking down at her phone, stepped in, nearly getting dragged in by the closing doors.
What a coincidence—think of Little Chestnut, and Little Chestnut appears.
Ruan Sixian shot him a glance and immediately moved to the other side.
It seemed just like last time—both in the same elevator, yet barely any interaction.
Ruan Sixian didn't even bother to greet him, and Fu Mingyu wasn't much better, unavoidably glancing at her as the doors opened before looking away.
But Ruan Sixian had secretly glanced at Fu Mingyu several times.
Alike?
Not really, their features were completely different.
But Yan An mentioned aura, not features, right?
Ruan Sixian stole a few more glances—maybe there was a tiny bit of resemblance.
Once you accept a certain idea...
No, stop.
He doesn't deserve it.
Sometimes, people can keenly sense when someone's gaze is on them, even in a noisy environment, let alone in a confined, empty elevator.
Every few seconds, Fu Mingyu could feel the person beside him sneakily casting glances at his face.
He suddenly turned his head and, sure enough, met Ruan Sixian's gaze.
—Cautiously pretending to be nonchalant, yet mixed with a hint of complicated struggle.
"……"
Ruan Sixian silently turned away, even theatrically smoothing her hair, touching her slightly warm cheeks.
Getting caught peeking naturally made her blush a little, but she pretended nothing had happened.
This time, it was Fu Mingyu's turn to look at Ruan Sixian.
But openly.
"Have you been drinking?"
From the moment she entered, Fu Mingyu had caught a whiff of alcohol.
"No."
"Then why is your face red?"
"……"
Your observational skills are truly sharp.Ruan Sixian adjusted her expression in a split second and said with a sinister tone, "Does a flushed face always mean someone's been drinking? What if I just came back from dancing on a grave and the excitement hasn't worn off yet?"
Fu Mingyu had no patience for her sarcasm and said sternly, "You have your first flight tomorrow morning. Don't you know how serious it is to drink?"
"I told you I didn't drink," Ruan Sixian retorted, feeling insulted by his certainty and a surge of anger rising within her. "Was I supposed to control someone spilling a drink all over me at the bar?"
Bar?
Before Fu Mingyu could dwell on the suggestive atmosphere of that location, the elevator doors opened, and Ruan Sixian walked out.
Whether it was because she was angry or because she felt awkward after being caught peeking at him earlier, Ruan Sixian didn’t want to spend another second with him.
But Fu Mingyu suddenly called out to her from behind.
"Ruan Sixian."
Ruan Sixian turned around and looked at Fu Mingyu with confusion.
"What?"
"First, Yan An is from North Airlines. It’s inappropriate for you two to be so close."
Ruan Sixian raised an eyebrow.
So?
"Second, Yan An loves to have fun. He changes girlfriends more often than he changes clothes. Think carefully."
Hearing this, Ruan Sixian slowly turned around and looked at Fu Mingyu, as if seriously considering his words.
But after a few seconds, she spoke up, "And what about you, President Fu? Do you love to have fun?"
He hadn’t expected her to suddenly shift the topic from Yan An to him.
Fu Mingyu frowned slightly, his thoughts spiraling uncontrollably.
"Don’t compare him to me."
Ruan Sixian snorted lightly and walked away.
That night, a light drizzle descended upon the city at some unknown hour, only to cease quietly before dawn, clearing the sky for the rising sun.
Ruan Sixian slept soundly, waking up naturally before her alarm went off.
The idea of being too nervous about her first flight to sleep simply didn’t exist for her—she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
But that didn’t mean Ruan Sixian wasn’t excited.
After breakfast, she put on her freshly dried uniform, meticulously tied up her hair, ensuring every strand was perfectly in place, even down to her hairline.
The uniform in the mirror fit her as if it were tailor-made—smooth, crisp, and hugging her figure, concealing her graceful curves while exuding a sharp, spirited air that matched the determination in her eyes.
She didn’t wear makeup, only applied a layer of sunscreen. Every pore on her body seemed to breathe freely, giving her a sense of rebirth.
A feeling she had never experienced before spread from deep within her heart, sweeping before her eyes as a new chapter slowly unfolded.
Meanwhile, two cars were parked downstairs.
Taking advantage of the fresh morning air, Yan An leaned against the car door, straightened his tie, glanced at the car beside him where the driver and Bai Yang were seated, and scoffed softly.
As time ticked by, Yan An estimated that Ruan Sixian should be leaving soon and headed into the elevator lobby on the first floor.
Sure enough, the floor indicator for the right elevator was slowly descending.
Yan An smoothed his hair in front of the elevator doors, adjusted his expression, and prepared to greet Ruan Sixian with a smile.
But when the doors opened, he was met with the face he least wanted to see at that moment.
"Well, President Fu, good morning."
Fu Mingyu acknowledged him, looking Yan An up and down, who was unusually dressed in a serious and formal manner.
"What are you doing here?"
"What else? Picking up Ruan Sixian for work, of course."Yan An flicked his collar. "I have to say, your World Airlines is a bit too stingy. Couldn't they at least provide dedicated cars for pilots? What if something happens while taking a taxi?"
Fu Mingyu ignored him. Yan An grinned and tilted his chin up. "President Fu, do you think it would be inappropriate if I really started dating someone from your company? I see you have quite a few outstanding talents. How about we discuss transferring some to our Northern Airlines?"
The elevator's chime sounded nearby, but it was coincidentally drowned out by Fu Mingyu's voice.
"Is there even a hint of progress?"
Yan An was used to Fu Mingyu's cold remarks and often found himself speechless, but today he was brimming with confidence.
"I think there is. We really hit it off—it was like meeting an old friend at first sight."
"Is that so?" Fu Mingyu's lips curled slightly. "I feel like she's more interested in me."
"...?"
Standing inside the elevator, having heard the entire conversation, Ruan Sixian took a deep breath expressionlessly and unconsciously clenched her fists.
What, the sky cleared, the rain stopped, and now you think you're all that?
She stepped out, strode over to Fu Mingyu with brisk steps, ignoring Yan An who was pushed aside, and said, "President Fu, you truly are a busy man with a short memory. Do you really not remember me?"
OpenNovel