"You a male model or something? Dressed so sharp."
When Li Xingying met Jiang Beicheng at the airport, she couldn't hide her starry-eyed admiration.
Jiang Beicheng's outfit today was simple: a white Dragon Tooth T-shirt, a domestic brand specializing in tactical outdoor gear with excellent value for money.
His pants were Mammut cargos, paired with a pair of low-top Nova hiking shoes.
He wore an Arc'teryx cap and carried a 60L Deuter mountaineering backpack, a German outdoor brand.
Masculine energy radiating.
Standing next to him, Li Xingying felt like a pampered kitten.
A complete sense of security.
Jiang Beicheng teased, "When I was studying in the UK, a few magazine scouts invited me to become a professional model."
"I believe it," Li Xingying responded, giving him full emotional validation. "If Young Master Jiang took that path, you'd definitely be a regular at the Big Three fashion weeks. I'd only get to see you on TV."
Her words made Jiang Beicheng laugh, and he reached out to ruffle her hair.
Li Xingying froze for a moment, then broke into a wide smile.
That gesture felt so boyfriend-like.
It gave her a slight flutter of falling in love.
The two bantered back and forth. A Hainan Airlines flight concierge brought over two glasses of orange juice, crouching down to serve Jiang Beicheng and Li Xingying.
"Hello, Mr. Jiang, Ms. Li. Your private Gulfstream 550 flight to Queenstown will take off in forty-five minutes. Please follow me through the expedited boarding channel shortly…"
After the introduction, the concierge helped with their luggage.
Sipping her orange juice through a straw, Li Xingying remarked, "The flight attendants on private jets seem prettier."
Jiang Beicheng said, "Not just prettier, but also very capable?"
Li Xingying shot him a puzzled look, as if questioning what he meant by "capable."
"I mean they can handle heavy work," Jiang Beicheng clarified.
And it was true. Private jet flight concierges were like household maids—highly skilled, proficient in everything, and versatile.
Not only that, when a client needed them, they had to provide sufficient emotional value.
The cream of the crop among flight attendants.
Naturally, their salaries were several times higher.
"Have you ever dated a flight attendant, Young Master Jiang?" Li Xingying asked curiously.
"Does one from Korea count?"
Li Xingying stared at him, stunned. "You… you…"
She didn't know how to respond.
Finally, she muttered, "Korean flight attendants are indeed pretty."
After finishing their orange juice, they followed the concierge to board the plane.
The cabin today was designed in the new Chinese style that Jiang Beicheng liked.
Chartered flights offered cabin customization and tailored meal services—just inform the airline in advance.
It was Li Xingying's first time on a private jet. From the moment she stepped into the Gulfstream G550, her phone never left her hand, snapping photos nonstop.
"Will Young Master Jiang laugh at me for being so inexperienced?" Li Xingying asked, clutching her phone.
Jiang Beicheng, lounging in an aviation chair while enjoying the attentive service of a flight attendant, shook his head with a smile. "Everyone has a first time."
Li Xingying burst out laughing.
She didn't care whether the comment was proper or not and kept snapping photos.
She wouldn't post them on short-video platforms—that would be like following Zhou Yu's influencer path—but sharing them on her Moments to satisfy her curiosity and vanity was normal.
Right after she edited and posted the photos, Zhou Yu liked her post.
Li Xingying suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, as if she'd stolen her friend's boyfriend.
But she didn't dwell on it. Adults had to take responsibility for their choices.
Jiang Beicheng was with her now—what did it have to do with other women?
Besides, she'd already decided to move out after this trip.
Jiang Beicheng noticed her expression out of the corner of his eye. "A person's growth is a process of choosing their social circle.
Some people leave, others come. It's all normal.
Those who leave might find a better social circle, and isn't that a good thing?"
Li Xingying nodded with a smile.
She affectionately called him "Teacher Jiang."
He'd gone from being her career mentor to her life mentor, and soon, he'd become her love mentor.
The flight from Jiangnan City to Queenstown took over a dozen hours.
After breakfast, Jiang Beicheng lay down to rest.
The next day, at 3 p.m. Beijing time, they landed in Queenstown.
This tourist city, with a permanent population of just over 20,000, was more famous than New Zealand itself.
"Mr. Jiang, Ms. Li, have a pleasant trip. Goodbye," the flight concierge said as they parted.
The return trip would also be a chartered flight, with Hainan Airlines picking them up from Queenstown. The cost was a few hundred thousand more than the outbound flight, totaling 1.2 million.
New Zealand, the world's loneliest country, had very few direct flights from China. Only during peak tourist season would cities like Guangzhou open routes to Auckland.
From Auckland on the North Island to Queenstown on the South Island required a connecting flight of several hours.
Normally, domestic flights transferred through Sydney or Melbourne in Australia.
Chartered flights, though dozens of times more expensive than commercial ones, offered a more comfortable journey and a more convenient schedule.
Even before acquiring the system, Jiang Beicheng always chartered flights for studying abroad or travel, sometimes sharing with other international students.
Old consumption habits die hard.
He wouldn't accept downgrading his lifestyle either.
Leaving Queenstown Airport, Jiang Beicheng took Li Xingying to the parking lot to pick up their car.
Rental car companies weren't allowed to provide services directly at the airport.
They had to take the company's shuttle to the rental agency to collect the vehicle.
The driver was enthusiastic.
Jiang Beicheng tipped an extra twenty New Zealand dollars.
"Thank you, boss! Have a great trip!" the driver said cheerfully after handling their luggage.
"Already throwing money around right after landing? Young Master Jiang's got that noble air," Li Xingying teased with a smile.
Jiang Beicheng just smiled.
Young Master Jiang was always this generous. Even back home, after paying service fees, he'd still tip the staff.
If they didn't accept tips, he'd write a commendation letter.
Young Master Jiang had a great reputation wherever he went.
At the rental counter, he presented his translated driver's license and necessary documents to pick up the car.
He rented a 2018 Land Cruiser exported to the Middle East.
It cost around 1.56 million, with a V8 engine, high horsepower, and massive torque, suitable for all kinds of outdoor scenarios.
The daily rental was 4,000 RMB.
Jiang Beicheng had a soft spot for internal combustion engines and loved performance cars and hardcore off-road vehicles.
In off-road circles, there was a saying: "Choose a Land Cruiser for crossing, a Jeep for climbing."
These two were legends in the hardcore off-road world until domestic Tank SUVs came along.
Jiang Beicheng also enjoyed Tanks—Tank 300, 330, and the fuel-powered Tank 400. In terms of value and performance, they clearly outperformed Land Cruisers and Jeeps.
Modified vehicles didn't count, of course.
Jiang Beicheng was waiting for Great Wall's Lao Wei to release a V8 powertrain next year—he'd definitely get one to play with.
After packing their luggage, Jiang Beicheng drove Li Xingying to the hotel.
Along the way, Little Miss Li kept snapping photos.
The scenery was simply too stunning.
On the lakeside road to the hotel, all they could see was the sapphire blue of Lake Wakatipu.
It was autumn, and the Southern Alps and Mount Cook across the lake already had snow.
The fields below the mountains were a golden yellow.
The gem-like blue lake reflected the golden fields, trees, and snow-capped peaks.
The three blended in perfect harmony, leaving them mesmerized.
China's mountainous and plateau regions also had sapphire-blue lakes and tarns, but they lacked the lush vegetation and unique pastoral charm of small towns.
Queenstown was breathtakingly beautiful.
The hotel where Jiang Beicheng and Li Xingying were staying tonight was one of the world's most scenic—Karin Boutique Hotel.
A platinum-diamond hotel by Lake Wakatipu, Jiang Beicheng had booked a premium lakeview suite for 12,344 RMB per night.