Outside the window, the airplane's wing sliced through the sea of clouds, the low rumble of the engines a faint backdrop. Inside the cabin, however, it was quiet.
Jiang Yanzhi turned his head slightly to glance at the girl beside him.
She was clearly someone with a strong sense of self-protection—traveling alone, guarded. A mask covered the lower half of her face, revealing only a pair of almond-shaped eyes, moist and glistening, with a faint reddish tinge at the moment.
A strange, unshakable emotion welled up in his chest, and the smile at the corner of Jiang Yanzhi's lips unconsciously faded.
He was about to say something, but the plane was already preparing to land.
The broadcast announcement came on.
Around them, passengers who had been napping stirred awake and began speaking in low voices. Jiang Yanzhi held back his words and fell silent.
The plane touched down right on time.
It was the height of summer. Even in the evening, the outdoor temperature in the capital hovered close to forty degrees Celsius.
Young urban women passed through the terminal in light, breezy outfits, baring long legs without hesitation. Only Tang Wanwan seemed immune to the heat—wearing not just long pants, but also a thin shirt layered with an even lighter outer blouse.
Catching him looking her way, she thought for a moment, then said, "I'm a bit sensitive to cold."
—So, a delicate beauty indeed.
Jiang Yanzhi nodded without commenting further.
Tang Wanwan didn't have much luggage—just a backpack and a single suitcase.
They had only gone a few steps before she noticed two people trailing behind them.
"They're my assistants," Jiang Yanzhi explained, then very naturally took her suitcase from her and handed it to one of them. At the same time, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number without pause.
The call connected after just one ring.
Whatever was said on the other end, Jiang Yanzhi responded, "She's right here beside me. I'll let you talk to her yourself."
He passed the phone over, and Tang Wanwan pressed it to her ear.
"Wanwan?"
It was Shen Xianyu's voice.
Tang Wanwan gave a quiet "Mm" before asking in a low tone, "Did something come up?"
After all, before she boarded, he had said he would be picking her up himself.
Hearing her voice, Shen Xianyu's taut nerves eased.
"As long as Yanzhi picked you up, it's fine." He pinched the bridge of his nose and explained, "Something came up at the last minute. I heard he was on the same flight as you, so I asked him to help me out."
His tone softened without him even realizing it. "Yanzhi's very reliable. Go with him. I've arranged a welcome dinner for you, so you can meet some friends. I'll be waiting for you at the door."
He spoke to her gently for a bit longer, leaving Tang Wanwan with a complicated mix of emotions. She handed the phone back to the man beside her.
Jiang Yanzhi accepted it. The call hadn't been ended—Shen Xianyu was still talking.
"Wanwan's health isn't great. Three hours on a plane straight… keep an eye on her. If she's uncomfortable, remind her to take her medicine."
"The medicine's in a side pocket of her backpack. Oh, and make sure she drinks some water—room temperature, not cold. Her health…"
The usually composed man now sounded like a nagging parent, rattling off instructions without pause, covering every last detail.
Both listeners—one on each end of the call—were a little taken aback.
Jiang Yanzhi glanced down at the girl's slightly listless expression, mentally noting each instruction.
Only when the call finally ended did Shen Xianyu realize his throat was dry. He took a sip from his wine glass, then noticed the private room had gone dead silent. Looking up, he found his friends staring at him with various expressions.
He paused, then lifted his glass and downed the rest in one go. "What?"
"Nothing," Gu Yunyi drawled from where he was leaning lazily on the sofa, a faint smile on his lips. "Just thinking… you're acting pretty whipped."
He chuckled. "You'll be seeing her in just a bit, but you're acting like she's leaving for years."
"Even a real dad might not be this thorough. Honestly, calling you a simp wouldn't be an exaggeration."
The others joined in, teasing.
Shen Xianyu only smiled faintly. "Wanwan's health—"
"We know, we know," Gu Yunyi cut in, waving a hand. "She's not well. In the last ten minutes, you've said that how many times now?"
Ten years ago, this good brother of his had gone to his maternal grandparents' house in Z City for summer vacation. When he came back, it was like he'd left part of his soul there—constantly thinking about some little girl.
From then on, every break he got, he would run to Z City.
Who knew what kind of fairy could make a ten-year-old boy's heart awaken like that, leaving him utterly smitten?
In high school, he even transferred to her city for a whole year, just to keep watch—afraid that while his delicate flower was blooming, someone else might catch her eye when he wasn't around.
Two months ago, when she took her college entrance exams, he went there in person to accompany her. The plan was to bring her straight to the capital after the exams.
But then came the teacher-thanksgiving banquet… the graduation banquet… and finally, she said she needed to get her driver's license.
And so it was August by the time she boarded a plane to Beijing.
Thinking of this, Gu Yunyi grew curious. "What on earth happened that kept you from picking her up yourself?"
Shen Xianyu was silent for a moment. "…I just got out of the hospital. My grandfather's ill."
He looked both weary and expectant. "Even lying in a hospital bed, he kept saying he wanted to see me get engaged with his own eyes."
"You're getting engaged already?" From the corner, Fu Jingbai looked up with interest. "Is it the Tang family you've been pining over, or some heiress your grandfather picked out for you?"
Thanks to Shen Xianyu's occasional mentions, his friends knew something of Tang Wanwan's background.
A scholarly family—both parents academics—with some local influence in Z City, though in the capital, not considered high-status.
As the Shen family's eldest grandson, Shen Xianyu had fallen early and hard, never wavering in his feelings for ten years.
While the Tang family's standing wasn't exactly elite, it was respectable. Since their son was so steadfast, the Shen family wouldn't make things difficult.
Still—would they really accept a frail, chronically ill daughter-in-law?
"If I'm getting engaged, the bride can only be Wanwan." Shen Xianyu's tone was firm.
He had never considered another option. It was just that…
"Bringing up marriage now might be too sudden. I don't want to scare her."
The room went quiet.
A moment ago, seeing his troubled look, they had thought the Shen family was going to break them up.
They hadn't expected his biggest worry to be… frightening the little girl.
"Alright, alright," Gu Yunyi laughed. "Your uncle's still a bachelor, isn't he? Let your grandfather worry about the younger son's love life. You're still young—don't rush it. Seriously, don't spook her into running."
Shen Xianyu's brows furrowed deeper. "My uncle's never listened to the family."
Of course… neither did he.
…
By evening, the sky was painted in shades of red.
As soon as they stepped out of the terminal, the summer heat slammed into them—blistering, suffocating.
The passenger-side door of a black Range Rover swung open. Tang Wanwan climbed in.
Jiang Yanzhi shut the door for her, then walked around the front and got into the driver's seat.
The two assistants stayed behind, watching them leave.
Fastening her seat belt, Tang Wanwan glanced out the window, only to hear him say, "They need to head back to the company. Not going the same way as us."
…Sharp.
Tang Wanwan kept her thoughts to herself, nodded to show she understood, then leaned back in her seat without saying another word.
(End of chapter)