Тhе stоvе аt thе entranсе rumblеd lоudlу, its fiery flamеs liсking the scаlding stone роt аs thе bоiling аroma fillеd the entire crampеd shоp.
Тhe wаitеr dеftlу clеаrеd thе lеftovеr bowls from the рrеvious tаble, grabbed аn oily rаg, and swiftly wiреd thе surfасе.
"Whаt would yоu twо like tо еаt?"
Ruan Siхian glаnсed at thе mеnu on thе wall and said, "Sрicy and sоur rаzоr clаm vermicelli, with ехtrа razоr сlаms, рlеаse."
Тhе waitеr then turnеd to Fu Mingуu, though his tоnе wаs notiсеаblу less brisk. "And yоu?"
Fu Mingyu replied сalmly, "Thе same аs her."
"Gоt it!" Тhe wаiter shouted toward the stove, "Two orders of spicy and sour razor clams!"
Ever since Fu Mingyu followed her inside, Ruan Sixian could feel the surrounding gazes gradually focusing on him.
The small shop was noisy and crowded, brimming with the lively atmosphere of everyday life, while Fu Mingyu carried an air of refined elegance and a detached expression that starkly contrasted with the surroundings.
He didn’t seem like someone who would ever appear in a place like this; instead, he resembled the polished aesthetic of a movie playing on the television in the corner.
Ruan Sixian hadn’t expected him to actually come in either.
Ten minutes earlier, caught in her lie, Ruan Sixian had maintained a calm expression despite her inner embarrassment as Fu Mingyu walked up beside her and asked, "Didn’t you say you already ate?"
Ruan Sixian stiffly replied, "Just having a snack."
Fu Mingyu glanced around the shop and asked, "Would you like to go somewhere else?"
Ruan Sixian thought to herself, I’ve already waited in line for so long—how could I change now? Even a Michelin-starred restaurant couldn’t pull me away from the allure of razor clam vermicelli. "No, I want to eat here."
Then, deliberately, she asked, "Mr. Fu, would you like to join me?"
How could Fu Mingyu possibly eat something that cost just over ten yuan a bowl?
Besides, the environment here… well, it wasn’t exactly clean.
Yet, to her surprise, he nodded and said, "Mm, alright."
So he stood quietly beside Ruan Sixian for ten minutes, waiting for their number to be called, and then followed her inside.
Ruan Sixian felt like she had dug herself into another hole.
If she could eat this, why couldn’t Fu Mingyu?
Was one of them somehow superior to the other?
But when two steaming bowls of razor clam vermicelli were served, the pungent smell of the razor clams and the sharp tang of vinegar assaulted their senses.
Ruan Sixian noticed Fu Mingyu visibly frown from across the table.
He really can’t bring himself to eat it.
Ruan Sixian picked up a small bowl, ladled in some broth, took a sip, and deliberately put on an expression of pure delight.
"It’s so delicious."
She looked at Fu Mingyu, raising an eyebrow. "Mr. Fu, pick up your chopsticks. It’s really tasty."
She didn’t believe Fu Mingyu would actually eat this stuff.
Sure enough, though Fu Mingyu was seated, he kept a half-meter distance from the table. He wiped a spoon with a napkin and, mimicking Ruan Sixian, ladled a small portion of broth into a bowl.
But when he lifted the bowl, he still couldn’t bring himself to take a sip.
Not only did the entire bowl reek of cheap spices, but what was that layer of oil floating on top?
He looked up and met Ruan Sixian’s mischievous gaze.
Setting the bowl down, he decided to change the subject.
"In November, the company will begin its nationwide recruitment tour for flight trainees. Would you like to go?"
"What would I do there?"
"Give presentations."
Ruan Sixian let out an "oh" and picked out a razor clam to eat.
"I’m just a co-pilot. Presentations are usually given by captains."
"It’s fine," Fu Mingyu said. "Having a female pilot give presentations will attract more female applicants."Ruan Sixian suddenly looked up and asked, "What, are you thinking of hiring more female pilots?"
"I've never considered a pilot's gender." His gaze lingered slowly on Ruan Sixian's face, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Of course, if they're female pilots like you, I wouldn't mind hiring a few more."
Ruan Sixian chuckled. "Trying to keep the moon close by, President Fu?"
Fu Mingyu didn't respond, instead pushing a bottle on the table toward Ruan Sixian.
"What's this for?"
"Add more vinegar."
With such a vivid imagination, why not go write a novel?
Ruan Sixian placed the vinegar back in its spot. "Sorry, I never eat vinegar. It makes me sick."
Fu Mingyu nodded casually but still made no move to pick up his chopsticks.
After watching him for a few seconds, Ruan Sixian took out a disinfectant wipe from her bag, meticulously cleaned a pair of chopsticks, and handed them to Fu Mingyu.
"President Fu, eat up."
Fu Mingyu took the chopsticks, paused, and said, "I don't eat clams."
"That's easy. Xiao Ruan is at your service."
Ruan Sixian smiled brightly as she pulled his bowl over and began carefully picking out the clams.
Though he knew she was up to no good, seeing her lowered lashes flutter, a hint of sweat glistening on the tip of her nose, and the corners of her mouth curved upward, Fu Mingyu couldn't help but smile.
A few minutes later, all the clams from Fu Mingyu's bowl had migrated to Ruan Sixian's.
She pushed the bowl back toward him, beaming. "All done."
Fu Mingyu let out an "oh." "I don't eat vermicelli either."
"..."
"Fu Mingyu, are you looking for trouble?"
"Vermicelli makes me sick."
"Fine, just fine."
Ruan Sixian clapped her hands in mock applause. "Anyone who didn't know better would think I was dining with an emperor."
By the time Ruan Sixian finished her bowl of clams and vermicelli, Fu Mingyu still hadn't touched his chopsticks.
But before she set hers down, he went to pay the bill.
The total came to thirty-six yuan. Fu Mingyu handed the owner a hundred-yuan note.
"Keep the change."
"Thank you, enjoy your meal!"
The owner took the money, grinning from ear to ear, though inwardly thinking, Rich people sure know how to create a mood.
Fu Mingyu turned and waved to Ruan Sixian.
"Let's go."
Ruan Sixian was feeling a bit full. She leisurely wiped her mouth before slowly rising to her feet.
The pedestrian street was still bustling, with people coming and going, their steps unhurried.
The dazzling neon lights and noisy music blended together, while a girl selling trinkets at a roadside stall called out to passersby, her voice stretching time to a leisurely pace.
"How much was the bill just now?"
Ruan Sixian asked.
"Are you going to pay me back?"
"Yeah."
"No need."
Fu Mingyu continued walking ahead.
Ruan Sixian fell a step behind, pursing her lips in his direction.
He made a simple bowl of clams and vermicelli worth a few dozen yuan sound like he'd treated her to a lavish imperial banquet, all while acting utterly nonchalant about it.
But the next moment, she heard him say with a hint of amusement, "You're the one who called me a pig farmer."
—How could I possibly take your money?
Ruan Sixian held her breath for a moment.
Two seconds later, she couldn't hold back.
"Fu! Ming! Yu!"
Fu Mingyu turned around calmly. "What? Still hungry?"
Ruan Sixian didn't know how she managed to restrain herself from beating Fu Mingyu to death right there on the street.
Was it her upbringing?
Her manners?
No, it was the rule of law and a harmonious society holding her back.
Ruan Sixian quickened her pace, almost breaking into a jog, but Fu Mingyu caught up to her effortlessly."Alright, I'll stop teasing you." He grabbed Ruan Sixian's wrist. "Seriously, are you going to the recruitment tour? It starts on November 11th, and the first stop is your alma mater."
Ruan Sixian was too angry to notice he had said "alma mater."
"No! On Double Eleven, I just want to take advantage of the discounts to buy your life!"
"Oh?"
Fu Mingyu's expression remained calm, but his words were utterly shameless. "You want me to give you my life? That's a bit too fast."
"..."
Ruan Sixian : How can there be such a shameless person in the world?
Ruan Sixian : Did Nüwa forget to give him a face when she was creating him?
Ruan Sixian : Did the embryo forget to develop a face during its growth?
Ruan Sixian sent out a series of complaints, and Bian Xuan replied with a yawning emoji.
[Bian Xuan]: Is it Fu Mingyu again?
Ruan Sixian paused her typing.
In the text box, she had just written one line—"Fu Mingyu is just a big idiot."
She deleted the line expressionlessly.
Ruan Sixian : No, I'm just angry from watching a drama. A total jerk.
[Bian Xuan]: Oh, I thought it was your Mr. Fu again.
[Bian Xuan]: Who else could make you this angry?
[Bian Xuan]: Gotta attend to customers now, bye.
Four days later, Ruan Sixian reached her flight hour limit and took her usual rest day. She had already made plans with Si Xiaozhen to visit a small town outside the city. Si Xiaozhen was always enthusiastic about such things and had booked the hotel in advance.
However, just as Ruan Sixian was packing, she received another message from the Flight Department.
There would be a meeting in the morning and training in the afternoon tomorrow.
Fine, life is life—you’re born just to work.
Ruan Sixian went to World Airlines, her entire body radiating resignation.
Yawning, she greeted her colleagues around her.
Before she could close her mouth, the people around her suddenly quieted down.
Ruan Sixian instinctively looked over and saw a group of people striding toward the elevator, led once again by Fu Mingyu.
Everyone else seemed to fade into the background. Ruan Sixian stared at Fu Mingyu, thinking, Don’t you dare come over and provoke me, or I really can’t guarantee I’ll save face for you at the company.
Half a minute later, the elevator doors closed, and the atmosphere around her relaxed again.
Good, you’ve saved your life today, all thanks to your habit of not looking around, you know?
After arriving at the conference room, the Flight Department manager was late.
Ruan Sixian sat by the window, resting her temple on her hand as she gazed into the distance, doing eye exercises.
Her gaze landed on Zheng You’an.
Ruan Sixian blinked, feeling more awake.
What is she doing here?
Fu Mingyu had the same question.
Standing by the window, he made a phone call, and when he looked back, he caught sight of Zheng You’an standing in the hangar downstairs.
"What is she doing here?"
Bai Yang stepped forward. "This year marks the company’s 30th anniversary, and preparations for the World Airshow have begun. She’s the photographer."
This year, World Airlines’ 30th anniversary coincided with the World Airshow, so the events were being planned together. Additionally, with the new ACJ31 model joining the fleet, this event was particularly significant. The Publicity Department had formed a dedicated team to handle the preparations since mid-year, and Fu Mingyu had been overseeing everything closely. It was only this month, as the work entered its final stages, that he had relaxed his attention.
However, this didn’t mean he was unconcerned about the remaining promotional work.World Airlines had always maintained a fixed partnership with a photography team, which over the years had never delivered unsatisfactory results. This ensured that the airline’s promotional visuals were consistently grand and stood out prominently in various image exhibitions.
After the recruitment promotional photos from last time, Fu Mingyu had assumed that the marketing department was well aware that Zheng You’an’s style was not suitable for the aviation industry.
Yet, despite this, they had still taken it upon themselves to change the photography team.
Fu Mingyu narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his hand, and removed the shirt sleeve garters, tossing them onto the table.
With a sharp "snap," Bai Yang’s brow furrowed involuntarily.
Having worked with Fu Mingyu for two years, he knew this was a sign of extreme anger.
"Call the marketing department manager over."
At six in the evening, Ruan Sixian, having finished her training, walked out while rubbing her shoulders.
Sitting in the office all day was truly more exhausting than spending a day in the cockpit.
Several colleagues who had attended the training with her invited her to dinner that evening, and she agreed. But before that, she needed to use the restroom.
The 16th floor housed the flight department, which, compared to other departments, had fewer people, and the restrooms were rarely frequented.
Ruan Sixian pushed the door open while checking her phone. Before she even reached the sink, she heard an extremely angry female voice from one of the stalls.
"Fu! Ming! Yu! Is! Out! Of! His! Mind!"
Who was it?!
Who was it?!
Ruan Sixian pricked up her ears, eager to find out exactly who it was!
In Fu Mingyu’s territory!
Speaking such a bold truth!
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