Еxtra Сhарtеr 3
Оn New Year's Еvе, Fu Mingyu аnd Ruan Sixiаn wеnt tо Нuguаng Мansion tо celebrate the Nеw Yеar.
Snоw still weighеd dоwn thе rоadsidе grееnеrу, the brаnches teеtеring prеcariouslу, and as thеy pаssеd, thеу соuld hеar the sоft rustlе of fаlling snоw.
А few rеd lantеrns hung in thе living room, аnd sоme rеd papеr cuttings were раstеd on thе floor-to-сеiling windоws. Thоugh nоt mаnу, undеr thе warm уеllow light, thе festivе atmosрherе оf thе Spring Fеstivаl grаduаlly rose.
Вy the time Fu Mingyu аnd Ruan Sixian аrrived, the Nеw Yeаr's Еve dinnеr was already set on the table.
He Lanxiang had never been one for extravagance when it came to food, and since the aunt who usually cooked had gone home for the evening, while the others weren't particularly skilled in the kitchen and could only help with minor tasks, she took charge alone, preparing just six or seven dishes before calling it quits.
Though the dishes were few, they made up for it in their delicacy.
During the meal, He Lanxiang glanced at Fu Chengyu and asked, "What are your plans for next year?"
Fu Chengyu listed a series of work plans, but He Lanxiang raised her hand to cut him off. "Who asked about that? Remember that Weiwei who used to come visit you often when you were little? Ran Yuwei—she got married last month. Now look at you. Among those you grew up with, who isn't married yet? Even your younger brother is married."
"I remember," Fu Chengyu said, deliberately skirting the main point. "She even broke your vase once."
Mentioning this incident achieved Fu Chengyu's goal, as He Lanxiang indeed lost interest in discussing the girl further.
Turning to Ruan Sixian, she asked, "Didn't you get your driver's license? After the New Year, do you want to buy a car?"
Ruan Sixian, holding her chopsticks, choked slightly, unsure how to respond. Beside her, Fu Mingyu, with a set of crab tools laid out before him, seemed fully focused on cutting the crab, yet he let out an unmistakable chuckle.
"What are you laughing at?" He Lanxiang asked.
"Nothing. We can talk about buying a car later," Fu Mingyu said, then turned to Ruan Sixian and raised an eyebrow, the amusement in his eyes still lingering, almost provocatively smug. "Right?"
"Oh, yes," Ruan Sixian lowered her head and shoveled rice into her mouth. "No rush."
She had indeed gotten her driver's license, but the process had been anything but smooth.
Even before she signed up, some senior captains had warned her: "No need, no need, really no need."
Fu Mingyu had also said there was no need to take the test, that she could just call a driver whenever she needed to go somewhere.
But Ruan Sixian often rode in Fu Mingyu's car and watched him effortlessly overtake and change lanes in traffic, feeling a bit envious and wanting to show off a little herself. So, at the beginning of the year, she enrolled in driving school.
What she never expected was that it would take her nearly a year to get a simple car driver's license.
Part of it was due to her limited time for practice, but the main reason was that operating a car was simply too challenging for her.
For instance, when overtaking, she wasn't used to checking the traffic on the left or the right—she just wanted to accelerate straight ahead and yank the steering wheel, leaving her instructor clutching his chest in distress.
When encountering a red light, her first instinct wasn't to hit the brakes but to find a way to circle around it somewhere.
After landing, planes rely on follow-me cars to enter the apron, so when she learned to reverse into a parking space, she wasn't used to twisting her neck to check the lines. Instead, she kept wanting to find a follow-me car with a big "follow me" sign to tow her car right in.
Moreover, when she sat alone in the car without the instructor, seeing the empty passenger seat made her feel unsafe.On the day Ruan Sixian finally obtained her driver's license after countless hardships, the driving instructor, who had trained many pilots, had long lost his temper. Clutching a cigarette, he chuckled good-naturedly, "Remember, when you go to the gas station to refuel, make sure to pay."
Ruan Sixian: "..."
Well, when our planes refuel, we just sign and leave—there's no such thing as pilots paying out of their own pockets.
On the day Ruan Sixian returned home with her little driver's license booklet, Fu Mingyu was sitting on the sofa, also holding a cigarette. He turned around when he saw her enter and said with a smile, "Finished the test? What kind of car do you want? I'll take you to pick one out tomorrow."
Instead, Ruan Sixian flopped onto the sofa and mumbled gloomily, "On the way back, I thought about it. For the safety of the general public, I'd better not touch a car."
Not only did Fu Mingyu not comfort her, but he laughed so hard on the sofa that cigarette ash scattered everywhere.
And so, the driving lessons came to an end. Ruan Sixian gave up the idea of driving herself and settled comfortably into enjoying the services of a professional driver.
"Buying a car isn't urgent, but you could still practice occasionally," He Lanxiang said, holding a spoon and chopsticks. "I have a car at my place..."
"Ah!"
Suddenly hearing Ruan Sixian's scream, He Lanxiang was so startled she dropped her spoon. "What?! What happened?!"
Before she could even ask what was going on, Ruan Sixian had already thrown down her chopsticks and clung to Fu Mingyu like an octopus. Meanwhile, Doudou, who had somehow slipped out unnoticed, was excitedly circling under Fu Mingyu's chair, wagging its tail.
"Go away! Get away from me!"
The more Ruan Sixian reacted, the more excited Doudou became, raising its paws and lunging toward the chair.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
"How did it get out?!"
Although it was her own dog, seeing Ruan Sixian's reaction, He Lanxiang seemed to think it was some kind of ferocious beast. "How did this dog learn to open doors by itself?!"
Though Fu Mingyu was thoroughly amused, laughing so hard his eyebrows trembled, he still picked Ruan Sixian up and moved aside.
He tilted his chin toward Fu Chengyu. "Brother, take care of it."
Fu Chengyu put down his chopsticks and, grabbing Doudou by its front paws, half-dragged and half-pulled it upstairs.
But as he turned away, Ruan Sixian clearly saw that he was also smiling.
Even Fu Boting, who had remained stern and unsmiling at the dining table, curled the corners of his lips.
Ruan Sixian: "..."
After the instigator was dragged upstairs, Ruan Sixian took a moment to catch her breath before realizing she was still clinging to Fu Mingyu.
She abruptly jumped down, sat properly on the chair, smoothed her hair, and pretended not to see their smiles.
But Fu Mingyu's continued laughter was just too much.
She turned her head, gritting her teeth, and asked, "Is it funny?"
Fu Mingyu tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It's alright."
Ruan Sixian: "..."
Then you and your furry son can grow old together with white fur. We're done.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, the two stayed overnight at Lakeview Mansion.
When the clock struck midnight, marking the end of the vigil, the family of five returned to their rooms to sleep.
After her shower, Ruan Sixian came out and glanced at Fu Mingyu, who was lying in bed reading a book. She walked around to the other side of the bed, sat with her back to him, and began applying body lotion.
The two remained silent, with only the sound of turning pages filling the room.
Once she had finished her routine, Ruan Sixian slipped under the covers, revealing only the upper half of her face as she looked at Fu Mingyu. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly felt a chill on her neck.She reached under her pillow and pulled out a red envelope.
Ruan Sixian immediately sat up and opened the envelope to count the money. "I still get one this year?"
Fu Mingyu gave a faint "mm" in response.
"People would laugh if they knew," Ruan Sixian said with a smile as she counted the money. "I'm twenty-eight and still getting lucky money."
Fu Mingyu wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said softly, "Every year, for peace and safety year after year."
Ruan Sixian repeated quietly, "Peace and safety year after year."
Year after year, may there be peace and safety.
Winter passed and spring arrived. Before the magnolias had fully withered, summer quietly arrived.
This year was particularly rainy. The meteorological station had long forecasted the Typhoon's landfall period. Although Jiangcheng wasn't coastal, it lay directly in the typhoon's path.
When Ruan Sixian entered the medical examination center at noon, the sky was clear and bright. By six o'clock when she came out, she looked outside and nearly thought she had walked through the wrong door into another world.
Outside the examination center, a fierce wind howled and torrential rain poured down. Trees along the roadside swayed precariously, construction barriers wobbled unsteadily, and large potted plants as tall as a person lay scattered and broken on the ground.
In such weather, an umbrella served only a symbolic purpose. Seeing a passerby's umbrella turned inside out like a lotus pod, Ruan Sixian knew there was no point in bothering with her own.
While others standing at the entrance with her anxiously made phone calls, she stood quietly to the side. Within her line of sight, a car slowly pulled in.
Despite the raging storm, thunder and lightning, as if the very sky were about to collapse—
When Fu Mingyu stepped out of the car holding an umbrella, the dark clouds hanging so low they nearly touched the ground seemed to lift in an instant, clearing a patch of sky.
Standing under the eaves, Ruan Sixian watched Fu Mingyu walk toward her step by step, feeling an inexplicable sense of calm.
This was the third year of their marriage.
Heart-fluttering moments were no longer the most important answer in life; a settled heart was.
"Did you come from the airport?"
"Mm." Fu Mingyu wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and the two of them walked out together under one umbrella. "The ground crew is securing the aircraft due to the typhoon. I went to check on it."
The rain was so heavy that with every step Ruan Sixian took, it felt like wading through water. Fortunately, she was wearing lace-up flats, so she treated it like playing in water.
But when she looked down, she saw that Fu Mingyu's pants were almost completely soaked through.
"You didn't have to get out of the car. It wasn't far; I could have walked—"
Before she could finish, she suddenly felt the direction of the rain pelting her change, and a loud crashing sound echoed in her ears.
Before she could react, someone forcefully pulled her and spun her around. Her shoes splashed water half a meter high, and simultaneously, an impact transmitted through Fu Mingyu's body to hers.
Following that was a dull thud and exclamations from all around.
Amid the deafening sound of rain, Ruan Sixian heard her own heavy, piercing heartbeat and her unadjusted breathing.
Only when workers rushed over to lift the construction barrier that had struck Fu Mingyu's back did Ruan Sixian understand what had just happened.
"Are you okay?!"
"Where did it hit?!"
"Did it hit your head?!"
Amid the clamor, Ruan Sixian's shoulders, still held by Fu Mingyu, trembled uncontrollably. She couldn't snap out of it for a long time.
"You—"
"I'm fine." Fu Mingyu released her and moved his shoulder. "It didn't hit my head."
Ruan Sixian's lips quivered slightly. She raised her hand, wanting to touch his shoulder, but didn't dare."Are you really okay?"
Fu Mingyu furrowed his brows tightly and let out a long sigh. "I'm fine."
"No, we need to go to the hospital." Ruan Sixian looked around anxiously, her gaze gradually focusing through the blurry curtain of rain. "This is a hospital right here. Let's go get checked."
"This is a physical examination center, not a hospital." Fu Mingyu's voice carried a hint of suppressed tension that only Ruan Sixian could detect. "Don't panic."
"How can I not panic! Fu Mingyu, are you out of your mind? Are you stupid!"
At the hospital, after the examination, the doctor said he was fine—just a minor superficial injury.
"Don’t we need an X-ray?" Ruan Sixian stared intently at the doctor. "How about we do an X-ray just in case?"
The doctor was about to say "no" directly, but seeing the look in Ruan Sixian’s eyes, he hesitated.
"Let’s do it." Fu Mingyu took off the jacket he had just put back on. "To put her mind at ease."
Twenty minutes later, the doctor received the information from the CT room, adjusted his glasses, and motioned for Ruan Sixian to come take a look.
"See? He really is fine."
"Oh."
By the time they walked out of the hospital entrance, the rain had lightened considerably, drizzling softly and washing away the oppressive atmosphere unique to hospitals.
Ruan Sixian tightly clasped Fu Mingyu’s hand, her tone still sharp. "Luckily for you today, that barrier wasn’t made of plastic steel, or you’d have someone taking care of you for the rest of your life."
"That wouldn’t be so bad."
Ruan Sixian closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then glared at him fiercely when she opened them again.
"I’m not joking with you."
"Hmm." Fu Mingyu casually stretched his shoulders. "Got it. Let’s go home."
Despite the doctor’s reassurance, Ruan Sixian was still shaken.
Every time she recalled that moment, besides the lingering fear, what overwhelmed her more was a deep ache.
Sitting in the car, she lowered her head, covering her face as she took deep breaths to calm herself.
"You really scared me to death."
"I—"
Fu Mingyu wanted to comfort her, but then he heard her say, "You’re thirty-two this year. At this age, it’s easiest for something to go wrong. Please don’t do this again, okay?"
Fu Mingyu: "..."
"You graduated with a degree in physics, at least. Don’t be so superstitious, okay?"
Ruan Sixian buried her head, rubbing her eyes before gripping his hand tightly again.
"Did you hear me? You’re not allowed to do this again."
Fu Mingyu didn’t give her a definite answer.
"No one can predict accidents like this."
If there’s a next time, I’d still do the same.
Ruan Sixian understood the unspoken meaning behind his words. Her knuckles turned white from clenching, but she couldn’t find anything else to say. All her words were suppressed by the ache churning in her chest.
Maybe she was being superstitious, but as she looked back on her long life, this year truly was the most fear-filled year of her life.
In October, Fu Mingyu led the marketing department executives to Country N to sign a midday contract.
On the third afternoon after he left, the crisp autumn breeze brought a refreshing coolness, with clear skies and sparse clouds.
In the tranquil afternoon, Ruan Sixian sat on the sofa reading a magazine. A variety show played on the TV, and the carpet’s fibers stirred in the gentle breeze, tickling her toes.
As she turned the page, she glanced casually at the TV. The news ticker displayed: "At 2:03 PM today, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in Country N..."
Two seconds later, the magazine fell from Ruan Sixian’s hands, and her mind went completely blank.
When Ruan Sixian rushed to the World Airlines building, He Lanxiang, Fu Boting, and Fu Chengyu had already arrived.Upon seeing Ruan Sixian, Fu Chengyu spoke up immediately.
"Don't worry, the embassy has confirmed there were no Chinese casualties."
Ruan Sixian had already seen this news on her way here, but the absence of Chinese casualties didn’t mean there were no Chinese injuries.
She remained silent, sitting quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on the ground, her face pale.
People hurried back and forth around her, footsteps rushed, and phone rings echoed one after another, as if this place were still a disaster zone.
At 6:30 p.m., more than four hours after the earthquake, news came from Country N that the ground was temporarily confirmed safe, and a World Airlines flight originally scheduled to depart from Country N began check-in.
However, only ten seats remained unsold on that day’s flight, all of which were given to elderly, weak, sick, or disabled passengers from subsequent flights for early boarding.
During these four hours, mobile communications in Country N had not been restored, and Ruan Sixian hadn’t even heard Fu Mingyu’s voice.
He Lanxiang brought a cup of hot water and sat down beside Ruan Sixian.
"Drink some water." She patted Ruan Sixian’s back. "Look, your clothes are soaked with sweat."
Ruan Sixian drank the entire cup of water in one go, but her throat still felt parched.
"Mom…"
"It’s fine, they said there were no casualties." He Lanxiang clenched the fabric on her knees, her expression calm. "Don’t worry."
At 9 p.m., a passenger plane temporarily dispatched from Jiangcheng was on standby, ready to fly to the capital of Country N to bring back stranded passengers.
Ruan Sixian changed into her uniform in Fu Mingyu’s office.
In the empty office, He Lanxiang paced back and forth before finally stopping at the door of the restroom and knocking.
"Maybe someone else should go instead. I’m worried…"
Ruan Sixian opened the door, her uniform already neatly worn.
"Mom, I need to see for myself that he’s safe."
"We’ve already confirmed it. His name isn’t on the injured list. He must be safe."
Ruan Sixian shook her head, her eyes unwavering. "I need to see him with my own eyes."
"You…" He Lanxiang clenched her hands for a moment before releasing them. "Go, go find him. But make sure to stay safe."
He Lanxiang’s concern was not unfounded. Typically, passenger planes operating such routes are configured with two captains. However, due to the special circumstances this time, the crew would include five captains flying simultaneously, each with experience in high-altitude flights.
In the aviation industry, there is an unwritten rule: "No night flights over high plateaus."
High-altitude routes refer to those above 1,500 meters, while routes above 2,438 meters are classified as high-plateau routes. The requirements for pilots on such routes are several magnitudes higher than those for ordinary routes.
The flight from Jiangcheng to the capital of Country N not only traverses the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average altitude of 4,000 meters, but also crosses Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak at 8,844 meters.
The difficulty of this route is among the highest in high-plateau flights.
Due to its extreme danger, this route has never had a record of night flights.
At 9:30 p.m., the crew assembled, and the line of captains, led by the captain in charge, boarded the plane one by one.
He Lanxiang followed them to the boarding ladder, still holding Ruan Sixian’s hand to remind her, "You must, must stay safe. On a high-plateau night flight, you can’t afford to lose focus for even a second."
"Mm." Ruan Sixian nodded. "Mom, don’t worry. I’ll come home safely with him."Ruan Sixian looked up at the dense night sky before entering the cabin door.
The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and the night stretched endlessly.
Even if it meant flying over a four-thousand-meter plateau, a nine-thousand-meter Everest, or navigating the high-altitude night, I would come to find you.
Three and a half hours later, the plane landed at the capital airport of Country N.
The airport tarmac, far from the city, was silent, yet the heavy wind seemed to carry the wails from the ruins.
Ruan Sixian was the only captain who stepped out of the cockpit.
While the flight attendants busied themselves in the cabin, she stood at the cabin door, gazing into the distance at the terminal building.
Below the wing, a local ground crew member paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, seemingly in good spirits, chattering a long string of words at Ruan Sixian.
Ruan Sixian didn’t understand a single word, her eyes fixed unblinkingly ahead. “My husband, this country, I’m here to pick him up.”
It was unclear whether the ground crew member understood what she was saying, but he continued gesturing animatedly while speaking.
After what felt like an eternity, as waves of people came and went at the airport, Ruan Sixian finally spotted a familiar figure at the terminal exit.
Fu Mingyu had no idea which crew was arriving today.
At this moment, he just wanted to hurry home.
Someone was waiting for him there, likely anxious and unable to sleep.
He hurried toward the tarmac, followed closely by Bai Yang and others, their steps heavy with urgency.
As he reached the boarding stairs, Fu Mingyu suddenly paused.
He looked up and saw the person standing at the cabin door.
At first, he thought he was mistaken. In the hazy darkness, her face seemed unreal, her eyes misty with tears.
Until she spoke.
The wind stirred silently around them, dust swirling in the air. The relief of surviving a brush with death and the despair of utter hopelessness intertwined in the air of this country, forming a dense web that suffocated everyone, making it hard to breathe.
Yet her voice shattered that web in an instant.
For the first time, Fu Mingyu heard a hint of grievance in her choked voice.
“Husband, I’m here to take you home.”
Author’s Note: I’m posting so early today—praise me, quick!
After you’re done praising me, I’ll go indulge in some recommendations. I know I already hyped it yesterday, but good stories are never too many. Once I finish this one, I’ll dive right into it!
————《It Is Said There Really Are Gods》 by Mi Xin ————
Ai Yu has lived for fourteen hundred years. She shared drinks with Li Bai during the Tang Dynasty, studied food with Su Shi in the Song Dynasty, and even had a fling with Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty.
Throughout her life, she has been cautious, constantly moving, changing names, and even fleeing abroad. Yet she never expected her first roommate after returning to China to disrupt her peaceful life.
Ai Yu visits museums with Jiang Congcan, going to great lengths to hide herself from portraits of Emperor Guangxu. With an extraordinary ability to heal, she never lets herself get injured in front of Jiang Congcan. Despite being immensely wealthy, she pretends to be penniless around him.
Until one day, Ai Yu and Jiang Congcan are in a car accident together…
As they watch each other’s bleeding wounds heal at a visible rate, Ai Yu frowns, realizing something is not quite right.
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