Оn аn еvеning аftеr the rain, thе skу hаd аlrеady turned соmpletеly dark.
Тhе frеsh sсеnt оf green grаss filled the air, accоmрaniеd by thе rustling оf lеаves. Тhе wind саrriеd it through thе cracks оf thе window, а cool wisр that brushed аgainst her nесk, sеерing intо hеr porеs аnd mingling with the сlаmmу sweаt, bringing a suddеn sеnse of rеliеf.
A lоw sound stirred in the rоom.
In the darknеss, Ruаn Siхian сould feel hеr сlоthes сlinging tо hеr, sоаkеd with sweаt. It wаs an unсomfоrtable fеeling.
"Нiss—" Fu Мingуu frownеd, his раlm рressing against thе nape of her nеck. His voiсe was lоw and rаsрy. "Вaby, be gentle."
"Shut up."
Ruan Sixian buried her head in his neck, her eyes shut tight. Her other hand gripped the corner of his shirt, trembling slightly.
She gritted her teeth and said in a deeply suppressed, low voice, "Why aren't you done yet... I'm so tired..."
Fu Mingyu lowered his head, his breath hot as he planted a series of delicate kisses on her earlobe.
She was pressed against his neck. The pitch-black room amplified her senses of smell and hearing, making everything incredibly clear.
His scent enveloped Ruan Sixian, leaving no room for argument.
It was clearly a crisp, cool fir scent, yet at this moment, it carried a scorching heat.
The air was thick with breaths, some suppressed, some fervent, rising and falling in succession.
The palm of Ruan Sixian's hand had a thin layer of calluses, but her skin was delicate.
A combination of gentleness and subtle roughness, every movement was like plucking a taut string.
Ruan Sixian's breathing grew tighter and tighter. She was so nervous her eyelashes trembled, and she lost all sense of time.
After an unknown amount of time, her arm suddenly stiffened.
She looked up and saw Fu Mingyu in the darkness, his eyes shut tight, his brow twitching slightly, and a fine sheen of sweat beading on his forehead.
Her mouth was half-open, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe.
As he slowly opened his eyes, she snapped back to her senses and scrambled to her feet, running toward the bathroom.
In the dimly lit room, Fu Mingyu leaned back on the sofa, let out a long breath, and leisurely straightened his clothes. He used a tissue to clean up the mess on the sofa.
After tossing the tissue, he walked to the wall, reached up, and flicked on the light. The bright light instantly illuminated the entire living room.
The sound of running water from the bathroom seeped through the crack under the door, continuing for a long time.
Fu Mingyu stood by the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked from the inside.
He leaned against the wall and knocked gently.
"Still not coming out?"
"None of your business!"
Ruan Sixian had finished washing her hands long ago, but seeing her slightly reddened palm, her breathing still hadn't calmed down.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, her cheeks were flushed, and a few strands of sweat-dampened hair clung to her neck. It was as if she were the one who had been toyed with.
So tiring!
How was this more tiring than handling a control yoke!
A few minutes later, she opened the door. The Fu Mingyu before her was dressed in a perfectly smooth shirt, without a single wrinkle. Even his collar was immaculate.
How could someone who looked like he was on the verge of death just moments ago recover so completely within ten minutes that he looked ready to appear on the evening news?
Ruan Sixian lowered her head and pushed past him. "Get out of my way. Don't block my path."
She walked into the living room. Fu Mingyu's jacket was tossed on the sofa, seemingly crushed by her just now. It lay there in a messy heap, its sleeves crumpled.
As she bent down to pick it up, she saw the tissues in the trash can, which faintly emanated an indescribable smell.
Her ears were already red, but at this sight, her temples began to throb. The palm holding the jacket grew hotter.
He must have cast a spell on her. He definitely cast a spell on her.
She, a proper young woman who embodied the values of a harmonious socialist society, had been seduced by him into doing something she once thought she would never do in her entire life.
Fu Mingyu was tying his tie at the side. His long, slender fingers deftly tightened the knot. He turned his head and saw Ruan Sixian holding his jacket. "Baby, hand me my jacket."
Ruan Sixian thought of how he had just been calling her "baby" in her ear, and the fire shot straight to her face. She immediately threw the jacket at his head.
"Do your own things yourself from now on!"
Fu Mingyu was a little baffled. Pretending not to understand her, he took the jacket off his head, draped it over his arm, and took a step forward to ruffle her hair.
"Okay, I'm heading back to the company to work." He glanced down at her. "Get some rest. You look pretty tired."
Ruan Sixian: "..."
Whose fault is that?! Whose fault?!
—
After Fu Mingyu left, Ruan Sixian went back to the dining room to clear the table.
The moment she started, she heard a clatter. A bowl fell back onto the table and rolled twice.
With quick eyes and nimble hands, Ruan Sixian immediately bent down and caught it, preventing the loss of a bowl.
However, after catching it, she closed her eyes, feeling utterly helpless.
She suddenly felt as if her 50kg bench presses had been for nothing.
After washing the dishes, Ruan Sixian went to the study, took out her exam materials, put on her headphones, and prepared to study with a clear and ascetic mind.
But as she worked on the problems, she found her handwriting was crooked and unsteady, as if her hand was out of her control.
There won't be a next time.
Next time, I'll be the Venus de Milo.
A message suddenly came through on her phone.
Discovering she hadn't been blocked, Zheng You'an immediately sent the text she had prepared.
Zheng You'an : First, I want to apologize. I kept calling CEO Fu just now but he didn't pick up. About that thing yesterday, I was talking nonsense. Please don't take it seriously. I'll confess my motive: I just didn't want my family to set me up with CEO Fu, so I made up a rumor. I was sure my family wouldn't spread it, but I didn't expect it to reach your ears. I really didn't see anything. After we got off the plane in Spain that time, we went our separate ways. I made it all up.
After Fu Mingyu's denial, Ruan Sixian had wondered whether Zheng You'an had seen wrong or if she had said it on purpose.
The former seemed more likely. After all, no matter how much Zheng You'an disliked Fu Mingyu, she wouldn't go so far as to slander him.
But she hadn't expected this to be the truth.
Seeing that Ruan Sixian didn't reply immediately, Zheng You'an cautiously typed out a few more words.
Zheng You'an : You two didn't get into a fight, did you?
Ruan Sixian hadn't decided what to say when another message arrived.
Zheng You'an : You two didn't get physical, did you!
"..."
Well, they did get physical.
Zheng You'an : This is my fault. If you two really break up, I'll compensate you with a new boyfriend!
Zheng You'an : There aren't many young, single CEOs, but there are some who are about to take office!
Ruan Sixian : No need, sis.
Zheng You'an : No, no, no, I should be the one calling you sis.
Ruan Sixian : We're fine!
Zheng You'an : Don't be polite. It was my big mouth that caused trouble. I should compensate you.
Zheng You'an : You're fine?
—
Fu Mingyu had been busy earlier and didn't have time to answer Zheng You'an's call. Naturally, Zheng You'an got scared, thinking he was furious and teetering on the edge of illegality. She didn't dare call him again and turned to Ruan Sixian to offer a humble apology.
Now that Ruan Sixian knew the whole story, she thought it over and decided she should tell Fu Mingyu, lest he recall the incident later and do something outrageous.
She just deliberately concealed the reason why Zheng You'an had slandered him, saying she had been drunk and was talking nonsense.
"She said you can do whatever you want with her now. Kill her or cut her up, it's up to you."
"Mm," Fu Mingyu said, holding the phone with one hand while rapidly signing documents with the other. He replied faintly, "Mm, got it."
From Ruan Sixian's understanding of domineering CEOs from novels and TV shows, the calmer the tone, the greater the fury.
"Are you angry?"
Fu Mingyu: "A little."
A domineering CEO's "a little" was naturally not comparable to an ordinary person's "a little."
Ruan Sixian asked again, "Are you thinking about how to get revenge on her?"
Fu Mingyu chuckled lightly. "It's not that serious."
From June of this year until now, the Zheng family's five-star hotels in third-tier cities had almost all closed down, and their market share in second-tier cities was also in jeopardy.
Outsiders might not be able to see the signs of the Zheng family's decline, but as a long-term partner, Fu Mingyu could glean a thing or two from various aspects.
Besides, from the time the Zheng family tried to set him up with Zheng You'an two years ago, he had already sensed that their situation was not optimistic.
Fu Mingyu glanced up and quickly signed his name. "I don't want to hold it against her."
"Oh, is that so." Ruan Sixian also laughed on the other end of the line. "You're quite magnanimous."
"I think you, of all people, should have the best understanding of how magnanimous I am."
Ruan Sixian huffed softly. "I'm going to read."
Fu Mingyu: "Hm? Still reading this late? You seem to have a lot of energy?"
"...Fu Mingyu, I'm telling you, don't even think about stepping into my house ever again."
After hanging up, Fu Mingyu smiled and put down his pen. Bai Yang came up to collect the documents.
Fu Mingyu stood up, glanced at the time, and turned to ask Bai Yang, "Has my mother returned home?"
"Madam just landed."
Fu Mingyu nodded and told Bai Yang to instruct the driver to head to Lakeview Manor tonight.
He arrived a few minutes before He Lanxiang. Doudou leaned against his leg, rolling onto its back, begging for a scratch.
Fu Mingyu played with it for a while. Just as he was about to go upstairs to change, there was a stir at the entrance.
He Lanxiang walked in, her face glowing with delight. She was wearing a shimmering faux fur coat. Standing under the light, she sparkled as if she had just stepped off a Broadway stage.
When she saw Fu Mingyu at home, she stopped in her tracks, sizing him up from head to toe. "Well, well, who's this? Did you walk into the wrong house?"
She turned back and waved at the driver. "There's a stranger trespassing in my house. Hurry up and call the police."
The driver, who was carrying the suitcase in, couldn't help but chuckle.
Fu Mingyu gave her a cold look, unfastened his cufflinks, and walked toward her.
He sometimes wondered if there was something wrong with his constitution. The women around him were all sharper-tongued than the last.
He Lanxiang swayed over to the table, took out a royal blue velvet box from her bag, removed a necklace from it, and dangled it from her finger. She turned to face Fu Mingyu and lifted her chin. "Look."
Fu Mingyu only gave it a glance, not particularly interested in the things women adored.
"It's very beautiful."
"Do I need you to tell me it's beautiful? Don't I have eyes?"
He Lanxiang shook the necklace. Under the floor lamp, the pendant gave off a faint glow.
Fu Mingyu raised his eyes. "Was it over budget?"
"..." He Lanxiang snatched the necklace back. "Vulgar!"
After carefully placing the necklace back in its box, she finally spoke. "I was originally just going there to see an art exhibition, but when Mr. Leicester heard I was there, he insisted I attend his banquet. I didn't want to go, but he came to invite me personally. I couldn't be disrespectful, could I?"
Fu Mingyu nodded without replying.
He had heard He Lanxiang mention this Mr. Leicester before. He was a rising British jewelry designer who had signed with a Chinese jewelry brand at the beginning of the year and had been based in the country ever since.
"Then I praised his award-winning necklace from this year, and he just gave it to me without a second thought. It was such a kind offer, I couldn't refuse."
He Lanxiang rubbed her temples. "I wanted to keep a low profile, but because of that, all the women at the banquet were staring at me. So troublesome."
Hearing this, an idea formed in Fu Mingyu's mind. He slowly walked to the table, opened the box again, and examined the necklace inside.
He Lanxiang was still behind him, voicing her troubles. "Sigh, you know Qu Xunyan, right? She usually wears Buddhist prayer beads and isn't interested in these things. She was just accompanying her younger sister. But even she stared at me a few times today. It made me so embarrassed. Sigh, but it's true, what woman doesn't like something so beautiful?"
Just as she finished speaking, Fu Mingyu closed the lid and turned to ask, "Sell it to me, will you?"
When He Lanxiang understood what Fu Mingyu wanted to do, she clutched her chest and gasped, nearly losing her balance. "Fu Mingyu, do you have any conscience! I worked so hard to raise you, and this is how you treat me?!"
—
On Christmas Day, Ruan Sixian spent it on a plane.
The day before New Year's Day, Bian Xuan asked Ruan Sixian to go shopping.
As the two walked down the street, looking at the New Year decorations everywhere, they both felt a chill run down their spines.
"Whenever I think back to when I was a regular flight attendant, I'd get goosebumps all over during National Day, New Year's Day, and the Spring Festival."
Bian Xuan linked her arm with Ruan Sixian's, strolling slowly. "From the time I graduated college until I switched to being a private flight attendant, I didn't go home for the New Year once in four years. Year after year, we'd send people home, and we'd be cooped up in a hotel. There wasn't even food delivery. We'd just eat some instant noodles and be done with it. Thinking back, that was no life for a human."
As she spoke, she patted Ruan Sixian's shoulder. "Good thing I'm free now. You still have a long way to go."
For others, holidays meant vacation and rest, but for people in the aviation industry, it was a battlefield.
Everyone wished the holidays wouldn't come. They were in no mood to celebrate or give gifts, and over time, their sense of ceremony for holidays faded.
Ruan Sixian was a little sleepy. Sipping her milk tea, she casually window-shopped.
As they passed a luxury menswear store, however, she stopped.
"What's wrong?" Bian Xuan followed her gaze. "Want to buy a New Year's gift for your boyfriend?"
Ruan Sixian didn't say anything, but her feet carried her into the store on their own.
Two rows of staff at the entrance, holding drinks and towels, welcomed them and led Ruan Sixian and Bian Xuan to the new arrivals section.
Ruan Sixian looked around, her gaze finally landing on the ties.
About twenty ties were displayed in a transparent case. Most of the styles were rather understated. Ruan Sixian looked for a few minutes and shook her head.
"Forget it."
"You don't like them?" Bian Xuan said. "I think they look quite nice."
"They're nice, but it seems like all his ties are custom-made."
"What does that matter? It's the thought that counts." Bian Xuan pulled her back. "If you give it to him, would he dare say he doesn't like it?"
Ruan Sixian thought for a moment, the corners of her eyebrows lifting. "He wouldn't dare."
—
After buying a black tie with a subtle pattern, Ruan Sixian carefully placed it in her flight case, covered it with a cashmere shawl, and patted it gently.
Sigh, Fu Mingyu, if you dare say you don't like it, this tie will be your lifeline.
At 6 p.m. on December 31st, the flight Ruan Sixian was working on returned.
After the last passenger deplaned, the captain walked through the cabin with Ruan Sixian, checking each seat.
"Sigh, another year has passed."
The captain patted an overhead bin, the sound reassuring him. "Year after year of being busy, when will it ever end?"
Outside the cabin, the security officer and the cabin crew were all crowded on the crew stairs, exchanging New Year's wishes.
The wind on the tarmac was strong. Ruan Sixian's hair was blown into a mess. She took out the scarf she was holding, wrapped it around her neck, and walked toward the crew bus.
She let the flight attendants in their skirts get on the bus first, waiting behind with the captain.
Just as she was about to step on, a commotion suddenly erupted in the distance.
Ruan Sixian and the captain turned to look, and those already on the crew bus also stuck their heads out to see.
"Oh my, it looks like someone's causing trouble!"
"Who's making a scene on New Year's Eve?"
"Are they fighting?"
"It seems to be from the ground crew side."
Someone wanted to go over and see, but Ruan Sixian stopped her. "The security officers will handle it. It's so cold, don't catch a cold."
As the crew bus passed by, the troublemakers had already been taken away.
After leaving the airport and returning to the World Airlines building, Ruan Sixian and the captain went to the flight operations department to submit the flight mission report. They ran into people celebrating the New Year inside and stayed for a while longer.
When she came out, Ruan Sixian received a message from Fu Mingyu. He said he had just finished his meeting and was leaving the conference room, telling her to find him in his office.
So Ruan Sixian headed that way.
After a few steps, she suddenly saw a man standing in the glass corridor ahead. He had both hands braced against the wall, his back arched, and his head bowed low.
This person was no stranger.
He was an alumnus from Ruan Sixian's high school, a ground crew member. The two would chat for a bit whenever they ran into each other.
He seemed to be... crying?
Ruan Sixian slowly approached, stood behind him, and patted his shoulder.
"Tan Shan?"
Tan Shan turned around, his eyes red. Seeing it was Ruan Sixian, he immediately turned his head back.
"What's wrong with you?" Ruan Sixian asked. "Did something happen?"
Tan Shan remained in the same position, leaning against the wall, but his shoulders were shaking.
Ruan Sixian stood for a moment. Seeing that he seemed unwilling to talk, she decided to turn and leave.
But just as the thought crossed her mind, Tan Shan spoke.
"It's so meaningless." His voice was hoarse, with a hint of a sob. "Going to work, earning money, it's just so meaningless."
"What's wrong?" Ruan Sixian thought of something and added, "Was that you causing trouble on the tarmac just now?"
Tan Shan swallowed hard, his voice choked. "Yeah, I hit someone. I just couldn't take it anymore."
Ruan Sixian: "Huh?"
Tan Shan turned to look at her, his red-rimmed eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
He tried to speak several times, swallowing his words back down, his lips pressed tightly together, his chin trembling slightly.
Ruan Sixian felt as if a string inside him was stretched taut, about to snap.
"Tomorrow is the New Year," Ruan Sixian said. "In the new year, everything is new. There's nothing you can't get through."
She had intended to comfort him, but she didn't expect this sentence to strike a nerve. He suddenly leaned on her shoulder and started wailing.
"Bullshit the new year will be better! Nothing will be better! It can't be fixed!"
Ruan Sixian was so scared she didn't dare move.
Wait, I thought adults were supposed to break down in silence? Bro, what's up with you?!
But Tan Shan was having an emotional breakdown. He didn't care who was in front of him; he just wanted a shoulder to lean on.
"It's too hard, my life is too hard. Is this a fucking life for a human? My girlfriend nags me every day to buy a house. If I don't buy one next year, she won't wait for me anymore. She's going back to our hometown for blind dates. I fucking want to buy a house too, but I can't afford it! My monthly salary is so little. I have to eat, live, and send money to my parents. Where am I supposed to get the money to buy a house!"
Ruan Sixian's back was stiff. She didn't know what to say, so she could only say dryly, "Then why did you hit someone?"
"I couldn't stand that Captain Zhang. What a piece of work! He forgets to turn off the radar every single time. Isn't the life of us ground crew worth anything?! Who can stand that radiation?! I can't afford a house, but I'd still like to live a few more years. I've told him several times, but he always forgets. Does he really not see us ground crew as human beings!"
"Uh..."
Every time Ruan Sixian boarded a plane, some captains would remind her to turn off the radar during landing, as it was very harmful to the ground crew guiding the plane to its parking spot. But some captains wouldn't, and sometimes even the captains themselves would forget.
He gripped Ruan Sixian's clothes tightly, and she could feel a damp patch forming on her shoulder.
"It's so meaningless. What's the point of this shitty job!" He had started with just choked sobs, but now he was completely venting. "Besides being exposed to radiation, we get blamed for everything. The media reported that the Sichuan Airlines incident was caused by careless maintenance by the ground crew, which led to the windshield cracking. Fuck! What the hell does that have to do with the ground crew! That was the original aircraft, the ground crew didn't even touch it!"
As his breakdown became more and more uncontrollable, Ruan Sixian didn't know what to do.
They were of the opposite sex, and more importantly, this was her boyfriend's company. This didn't look good!
"Um..." Ruan Sixian slowly pushed him away. "If there's a problem, let's talk it out slowly..."
Pushed by her, Tan Shan simply squatted on the ground, holding his head, immersed in his own sorrow.
"I still can't lose my job... I don't know how to do anything else..."
Ruan Sixian was afraid that Tan Shan would do a sit-up and lean on her shoulder again, so she took a step back and said, "I'll just—"
Her phone suddenly buzzed, and Ruan Sixian's heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
She took it out and saw that it was, indeed, a message from Fu Mingyu.
[Fu Mingyu]: Look up.
Those two words were like a machine command. Ruan Sixian immediately raised her head.
Through the long glass corridor, she saw a person standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the director's office opposite.
"..."
Ruan Sixian sighed and put her phone away.
Tan Shan covered his face. "I'm sorry... I said too much... I'm sorry for making you listen to my complaints here."
"I have something to do, so I'll be going now."
Off to appease my boyfriend.
—
Before entering Fu Mingyu's office, Ruan Sixian paused, then turned back to a female assistant. She squatted down, opened her flight case, and took out the box containing the tie.
After entrusting her flight case to the assistant, she held the box behind her back and walked in quietly.
Fu Mingyu was on the phone by the window.
Seeing Ruan Sixian enter, he turned his head, raised a hand, and gestured for her to wait a moment.
Ruan Sixian sat on the sofa, hiding the box behind her back.
During the few minutes while Fu Mingyu was on the phone, she sat upright like a primary school student.
After the call ended, Fu Mingyu turned and walked toward her.
He sat down beside her, stretching his legs in a relaxed posture, but remained silent, scrolling through his phone as if looking at something.
He seemed so aloof.
Ruan Sixian moved closer.
"President Fu?"
He didn’t respond, still scrolling through his phone.
Ruan Sixian tugged at his sleeve.
"Boyfriend?"
He still didn’t speak, not even lifting his eyes.
Ruan Sixian licked the corner of her lips and leaned in even closer.
"Brother?"
His fingers suddenly paused.
Fu Mingyu turned his head to look at Ruan Sixian, a faint glimmer in his eyes, his brow lifting almost imperceptibly.
But he still didn’t say anything, merely straightening up and leaning forward to reach toward the table.
Ruan Sixian grabbed the hem of his shirt.
"Just now, I ran into my high school classmate. He was a bit emotionally overwhelmed, and then—"
Suddenly, a sapphire-blue velvet box appeared before her.
The lid popped open, revealing a necklace shimmering with a soft glow. The pendant was small, an exquisite hexagon.
"New Year’s gift."
Ruan Sixian’s lips parted.
Though it was just a New Year’s gift, she was struck by a wave of delicate happiness, slowly spreading and filling her heart without her even realizing it.
"I…" she felt a bit flustered, "I don’t really need…"
"If it’s something you need, can it still be called a gift?" Fu Mingyu took the necklace out, reached around her neck, and fastened it.
Ruan Sixian stared at Fu Mingyu without blinking, forgetting to even glance at her New Year’s gift.
Fu Mingyu’s fingers slid along the chain to the pendant, gently adjusting it.
"Even though I’ve heard you say you don’t like these things—"
"I do like it."
Ruan Sixian blurted out.
Because it was from you, that’s why I like it.
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