Ruаn Siхiаn fаstеnеd the last buttоn аnd turnеd аrоund. The roоm's light gеnerouslу spilled оvеr hеr fасе and hair, mаking her eyes gleam likе сleаr watеr.
Shе рursеd her liрs intо а smilе аnd crоoked a fingеr аt the mаn before hеr. "Do I loоk good?"
Fu Мingуu rаisеd his аrm, his fingеrtiрs brushing over hеr еpаulеttеs befоre sliding dоwn tо her waist. Не pullеd her tightly into his еmbrace аnd kissеd hеr eаrlobe.
"Thаt tiсklеs." Ruan Siхiаn tiltеd hеr fасe аwаy. "Whаt arе you dоing?"
"Hmm?" Fu Мingуu nuzzlеd her сhееk with his сhin. "What do yоu think I want to do?"
Ruan Sixiаn rested her сhin on his shouldеr, taking аdvаntagе of his inability to see her face to smile freely. "Didn't you want to see me in uniform?"
Fu Mingyu's hands wandered restlessly around her waist. "Yes, and I also want to see you take it off."
Once the urge to tease emerged, it grew wildly.
But hearing such words whispered in her ear still made Ruan Sixian blush uncontrollably.
She pushed Fu Mingyu away, lowered her head, and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear, revealing her flushed earlobe.
Fingers pinching the collar of her sleeve, she whispered, "Do you want me to take it off for you?"
With that, she began undoing the first button.
Her fingers had barely moved when Fu Mingyu caught her hand, pressing it against her chest. His other hand cradled the back of her head as he kissed her deeply.
Perhaps the alcohol had left her a bit lightheaded, and he wasn't being particularly gentle. Ruan Sixian lost her balance, and the two of them tumbled onto the bed together.
The night was silent, with only the occasional sound of wind outside the window.
The intimate, lingering sounds of their breaths gradually warmed the room filled with heating.
Fu Mingyu propped himself up beside Ruan Sixian's head, showering her with delicate kisses. Her hands, at some point, had wrapped around his neck, actively responding to him again and again.
He opened his eyes, his gaze hazy and blurred, gently sucking on her lips as he murmured softly, "Are you always this bold when you've been drinking?"
His fingers brushed past her cheek, the skin beneath his touch feeling warm.
Ruan Sixian lowered her lashes, which trembled slightly. "Maybe I'm just more assertive during my period."
"..."
The desire in Fu Mingyu's eyes visibly faded, his fingers freezing in place, unmoving.
He closed his eyes, almost gritting his teeth as he called her name.
"Ruan—Si—Xian!"
Ruan Sixian's eyes curved into a smile as she hooked her arms around his neck, pulling him forcefully onto the bed and pressing him down beside her.
She rolled over, lying on her stomach, propping her chin on her hand as she looked at him. "I already said another day, another day. You were the one who insisted on seizing the moment instead of waiting. Is it my fault?"
Fu Mingyu tilted his head, squinting at her, and reached out to pinch her chin. "Are you trying to kill me?"
Ruan Sixian lifted her chin defiantly. "Is that any way to talk? Who was it that opened my closet door and gave me only two choices: put it on myself or have you put it on me?"
Fu Mingyu closed his eyes, his brows furrowed. He took a deep breath, released her chin, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her to lie against his chest.
Ruan Sixian, however, wasn't entirely settled. After adjusting to a comfortable position, she asked, "Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm." Fu Mingyu placed his hand on her waist, responding absentmindedly.
"I heard today that your aunt didn't approve of your brother's engagement to his girlfriend and broke them up... Hey, stop moving your hand, it tickles!" Ruan Sixian swatted his hand away and continued, "And it made your brother so angry that he went abroad and hasn't come back for over half a year. Is that true?""It's not true." Fu Mingyu suddenly chuckled, not waiting for Ruan Sixian to press further before explaining, "It's correct that my mother asked them to break up, but that was because their relationship had problems—they couldn't make a clean break and kept dragging things out. She's the type who advises separation over reconciliation."
Ruan Sixian was a bit confused. "Advises separation over reconciliation?"
"Mm." Fu Mingyu twirled a strand of Ruan Sixian's hair around his finger, speaking about the matter with almost no emotional inflection. "She believes that if two people are meant to spend their lives together, even if they separate for a while, they'll still find their way back to each other. It also gives them a chance to reflect and settle their thoughts. But if they feel more at ease after separating, then there's no need to return to the starting point."
"Oh."
As Ruan Sixian was pondering this carefully, she felt Fu Mingyu's hands becoming restless again, so she patted his chest. "Stop moving!"
"What about your brother's girlfriend? Oh, wait—ex-girlfriend."
"Not really sure."
"How come you don't know?"
Fu Mingyu glanced at her. "Why should I care so much about my brother's ex-girlfriend?"
"Fine. So, your mother never minded your brother's ex-girlfriend's family background or anything like that?"
Fu Mingyu hooked a finger under her chin. "Why are you thinking so much about this?"
Ruan Sixian stared straight at him. "I'm just asking casually. Can't I?"
"There's nothing I can't tell you." Fu Mingyu released her chin and said calmly, "It wasn't really about minding. She never thought highly of their relationship from the start, but she never interfered either—until that last time—"
"Mm, I see."
Ruan Sixian lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the buttons on his shirt, one after another, teasing Fu Mingyu—
"Ruan Sixian, if it's inconvenient, don't provoke me." Fu Mingyu suddenly grabbed her hand. "Or are you so tired today that you still want to help me out again?"
Ruan Sixian looked up, pulled her hand back, and punched him lightly. "Are you that horny?"
She broke free from his embrace and got out of bed.
"I'm going to take a shower."
Fu Mingyu looked up at the ceiling, let out a long sigh, and then got up as well.
"Are you going back?"
Before entering the bathroom, Ruan Sixian peeked out to ask.
"Hmm?"
Fu Mingyu, holding his jacket, tilted his head to look at her, a faint, teasing smile on his lips. "Want me to stay and keep you company?"
Ruan Sixian hugged the doorframe, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. After a long moment, she suddenly said, "The password is my birthday."
With those words, the bathroom door closed simultaneously.
Fu Mingyu looked at the door and chuckled softly.
Nearly an hour later, Ruan Sixian stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and a hair-drying cap. As soon as she took a step out, she saw Fu Mingyu sitting on her sofa, dressed in light gray pajamas, holding a book in his hand.
His posture was as natural as if he were in his own home.
He glanced up from the book. "Finished showering?"
"Finished." Ruan Sixian tightened the towel around her chest, pulling it up a bit, while sizing up Fu Mingyu. "You were pretty quick."
Fu Mingyu put down the book, the curve of his lips somewhere between a cold smile and a tease.
"Don't you know how quick I am?"
"..."
Ruan Sixian closed the door, changed into her pajamas, and came out. As she entered the bathroom, she didn't forget to glare at him.
After drying her hair, she didn't say a word, went straight back to the bedroom, slipped under the covers, and turned off the light.
Outside the window, the moonlight swayed gently, filtering through the thin curtains and spilling into the room.When Fu Mingyu entered, he didn't turn on the lights, and his footsteps were light, but Ruan Sixian seemed to sense his presence, knowing he had come in, and instead closed her eyes even tighter.
The edge of the bed slowly sank in one spot.
Fu Mingyu lay down on the bed, facing Ruan Sixian's back.
He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head.
In the darkness, the two whispered softly.
"Where are you flying next?"
"The day after tomorrow, still to Lincheng. Why?"
"What time will you be back?"
"If there's no delay, around six."
"Mm, let me know when you arrive. Wait for me in the evening."
"..."
Ruan Sixian shifted her neck uncomfortably, grateful that the darkness hid her flushed face, or else Fu Mingyu might have taken the opportunity to tease her again.
"You really don't have to say it like you're assigning homework."
It felt as if Fu Mingyu was blatantly telling her, "I'm going to have you that night, so be prepared."
Fu Mingyu chuckled softly behind her, his eyes closed. "First, I asked you to let me know because the weather isn't good that day, so I want you to report your safe landing. Second, I asked you to wait for me in the evening because I want to take you out for dinner to make up for New Year's Day."
His palm pressed against Ruan Sixian's abdomen as he propped himself up slightly to look at her. "What homework are you talking about?"
"...I'll let you know when I land safely. Let's sleep, goodnight."
This year, the Lunar New Year came early. After the New Year's Day holiday, many universities had already finished exams and started their breaks. With many out-of-town students in Jiangcheng, they gradually began returning home, causing another small peak in flight busyness.
"Delays, delays, every single day!"
In the first-class lounge, a man paced anxiously back and forth. "They won't even give a clear answer about when the flight will take off!"
Outside, low clouds blanketed the sky. Though it was only six o'clock, the sky was darker than usual at seven or eight, as if foretelling an impending heavy rain.
This kind of weather only added to the anxiety of passengers whose flights were delayed.
A woman sitting behind held a makeup mirror. Though she was also annoyed, she wasn't as irritable as her brother.
"What's the use of complaining here?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "If you have the guts, go to that building next door and complain, tell them to arrange your flight sooner."
The man turned and glared at her angrily. "What else can you do besides being sarcastic here?"
These two were among the four people at the smoking area during Yan An's father's birthday banquet.
The woman was Jin Ya, and the man was Jin Xuan. The cousins had been in a bad mood these past few days, and neither was willing to back down in an argument.
"Who's better at talking than you? If you hadn't been unable to keep your mouth shut that day, would we have gotten into so much trouble?"
Jin Xuan sneered, hands on his hips. "Me, talking too much? You seemed to follow along just fine."
Jin Ya put away her mirror, too lazy to look at him. "If you hadn't started it by talking about his girlfriend, would others have brought it up for no reason?"
Seeing him fall silent, Jin Ya sneered again. "It's just because she's pretty, but no matter how pretty she is, she's not yours. You caused trouble for yourself, and you dragged the rest of us down with you."
"Pretty, yeah, isn't that all it is?"
Jin Xuan stiffened his neck, sneering as he spoke. "Hasn't he seen plenty of beauties? Why is he so protective of this one? What else does she have besides her face?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the broadcast suddenly announced boarding.
Jin Ya: "Alright, let's go. This is his territory, what's the point of complaining?"World Airlines Building, 16th Floor, Operations Director's Office.
Fu Mingyu was intently focused on his computer when his brow suddenly twitched, and he turned to look out the window.
Outside, a torrential downpour had begun without warning, with dark clouds gathering and strong winds howling.
He stood up, walked to the window, glanced at his wristwatch, and a faint trace of worry flickered in his eyes.
Returning to his seat, he opened the flight operations status monitor, as he usually did, to keep an eye on the situation.
As the page loaded, a glaring red alert message popped up.
Before he could fully process it, Bai Yang beside him turned pale, staring at his phone screen, and said, "Director Fu, SH29345 has declared a 7700 emergency code. Ground emergency procedures are now being activated."
As if in disbelief, Fu Mingyu turned back to his computer screen.
Only after clearly reading the red text did he suddenly rise to his feet and stride out of the office without even grabbing his coat—
Jin Ya and Jin Xuan boarded the shuttle bus, thinking they would smoothly board the flight, but the vehicle came to a halt halfway.
After more than ten minutes, Jin Xuan grew agitated again.
Leaning against the window, Jin Xuan could only make out the blurry figures of ground crew in raincoats rushing back and forth in the heavy rain.
"Damn it!" Jin Xuan slammed a fist against the bus door. "Are we even flying today or not?!"
Annoyed by his noisy outburst, a female passenger in the bus shot him a glare and said impatiently, "Haven't you seen the flight app notification? A flight has declared a 7700 emergency code and is about to land here."
The driver added over his shoulder, "All other aircraft in the air are being diverted now, so of course we can't move either."
The female passenger stood on tiptoe to peer outside. "I wonder if they'll manage to land safely. I heard the captain became incapacitated mid-flight, and the co-pilot took over. And with this wind and rain…"—
On the World Airlines crew bus heading toward the apron, Bai Yang stood behind Fu Mingyu and said gravely, "The headwind on the main runway is too strong for landing, but the cloud ceiling is too low to switch to the opposite direction. Air traffic control has directed the use of the southwest-facing secondary runway. The aircraft will detour around the eastern shore of Yunxing Bay, approaching from the direction of Lingun City toward Shilan. However, this means the plane will be fully exposed to the severe effects of crosswinds from the left."
Through the curtain of rain, Fu Mingyu watched as ambulances and fire trucks, one after another, sped past toward the runway.
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