"Hello, Mr. Jiang. Nice to see you again. Did you have a pleasant trip?"
The flight attendant from Hainan Airlines' private jet crew greeted him with a warm smile, her service enthusiastic and impeccable.
For a high-value client like Jiang Beicheng, who chartered long-haul flights, the crew had to bring their A-game—100%, or even 200% effort, with top-notch professionalism. It directly impacted the flight attendant's year-end bonus and even her chances for promotion.
Jiang Beicheng boarded, changed his shoes, and reclined to rest.
Li Xingying opened her laptop to review her video data.
Wu Keqing, the one hitching a ride on the private jet, was the most lively, snapping photos with her phone left and right. Before takeoff, she even ran to take pictures with the flight attendants and the captain.
Her family wasn't poor, and she had some worldly experience. She knew chartering a plane was expensive, but she hadn't realized *how* expensive—jaw-droppingly so. The cost for this return flight was 1.2 million yuan, equivalent to five or six years of her family's income. The social class she came from didn't even have "chartering a private jet" on their radar as a consumer choice. It simply wasn't part of their world.
But for "Brother Jiang," it seemed like a mere nod of the head. His expression remained calm, unruffled.
Wu Keqing was now certain: Brother Jiang had to be some big shot in Jiangnan City, at the very least, someone with immense wealth.
"Don't disturb people while they're working," Li Xingying said, noticing Wu Keqing's selfie spree, her tone carrying a hint of sharpness.
Though it was phrased as a reminder, it had a tinge of jealousy.
Wu Keqing's comment from the day before—wishing for a "budget version" of Brother Jiang as a boyfriend—had left Li Xingying feeling irritated. Every little move the younger girl made seemed to affect her mood.
Li Xingying wasn't sure if she had genuinely fallen for Jiang Beicheng or if she was just in the honeymoon phase and feeling territorial. Either way, she couldn't shake the feeling that Wu Keqing had ulterior motives, as if she were trying to steal her "Little Boss Jiang."
In truth, Wu Keqing wasn't scheming at all. She was straightforward, her bit of vanity on full display. Having never experienced the luxury of a private jet, snapping photos and posting them to her social circle was only natural, right?
"It's fine," the flight attendant said with a polite smile, unbothered by Wu Keqing's photography.
Still, Wu Keqing put her phone away, acknowledging that Li Xingying's reminder made sense.
She sat down and glanced back at Jiang Beicheng, who was sleeping in the inner cabin. Feeling bored, she tried to strike up a conversation with Li Xingying to pass the time during the long flight.
But her next sentence left Li Xingying speechless.
"Sister Li, do you often travel by private jet?" Wu Keqing asked.
Li Xingying's heart skipped a beat.
She couldn't answer that question.
The first time she'd boarded a private jet, she'd been just like Wu Keqing—snapping photos, posting to her social circle. Having just told Wu Keqing to stop taking pictures, how was she supposed to respond now?
And she had to keep up appearances.
In front of Wu Keqing, she needed to seem worldly, sophisticated, to make the younger girl feel there was a gap between them. If Wu Keqing had any feelings for Jiang Beicheng, Li Xingying wanted her to realize her place and give up any fantasies.
The best way to "keep up appearances" was to stay silent. Talking too much could expose her.
So Li Xingying didn't answer. Instead, she suggested, "If you're bored, you could read a book."
She pointed to the bookshelf nearby.
"I'd rather read a novel," Wu Keqing said, slumping back and pulling out her phone to read.
Li Xingying shook her head. Was this girl clueless?
Li Xingying had been wrestling with her own inner turmoil, but Wu Keqing seemed completely oblivious, giggling at her novel without a care.
Li Xingying sighed. Indeed, a woman's greatest fear was loss. She was terrified of losing Little Boss Jiang, her mind and heart spiraling into overthinking.
…
Tonight's dinner was an Italian meal that Jiang Beicheng had pre-ordered through the airline, specially prepared for the two girls. They opened a bottle of red wine from Australia's Penfolds winery to celebrate the perfect end to their trip.
"This is amazing, Brother Jiang! I originally just wanted to hitch a ride on your jet for convenience, but I didn't expect to hitch a ride to the peak of life!" Wu Keqing laughed, clinking glasses with Jiang Beicheng.
Jiang Beicheng teased, "Guess you're lucky. Not just anyone could let you hitch a ride like this!"
"I'll remember this favor. I'm definitely going to find a way to let Brother Jiang hitch a ride with *me* to show my gratitude," Wu Keqing said, beaming brightly.
Jiang Beicheng chuckled at her words. To an outsider, it might sound like they were flirting, but Wu Keqing showed no sign of picking up on that. She was all bold and straightforward.
Li Xingying couldn't get a word in. This kind of banter wasn't her forte, but she knew Jiang Beicheng had a wide circle of friends and likely appreciated Wu Keqing's outgoing personality.
She stood to the side, holding her wine glass with a forced smile.
In her heart, she grappled with whether she could accept Jiang Beicheng taking an interest in Wu Keqing. *It'll pass,* she reassured herself. *You have your own motives too.*
…
The plane landed in Jiangnan City in the morning.
Jiang Beicheng had slept for a long time on the flight. With only a four- or five-hour time difference between East 8 and East 12 time zones, jet lag didn't affect him. He was at his most energetic, ready to pick up his car and check on the renovation progress of Beicheng Hotel at the Halo.
Manager Gu from Jiangnan City's Mansory company, having received Jiang Beicheng's flight details, was already waiting at the airport with a car.
"Little Boss Jiang, you must be exhausted," Manager Gu said, hurrying forward to take Jiang Beicheng's luggage.
"Manager Gu, please take my two friends home first," Jiang Beicheng said, thoughtful of Li Xingying and Wu Keqing.
"No need, Brother Jiang. I'll take the light rail—it's a straight shot," Wu Keqing said, thanking him again. "Brother Jiang, after I attend my graduation ceremony, I'll treat you and Sister Li to dinner. Thank you, thank you!"
She clasped her hands together, gave Jiang Beicheng a playful bow, and headed off to catch the light rail, disappearing in a flash.
"Little Boss Jiang, if you have things to do, I'll head to JD Mall to exchange my drone," Li Xingying said, having already booked a ride-Hai Ling car that had just arrived.
Jiang Beicheng nodded. "Send me your account details, and I'll transfer the money once I'm done with my errands."
"Great!"
Li Xingying smiled sweetly.
Getting money was, of course, a happy thing—especially two million yuan! With Wu Keqing gone, she was even happier.
**[Smile Count: 1/100]**
As Jiang Beicheng had suspected, Li Xingying was counted as one of the "close people" around him, and the system recorded her joyful mood.
"Little Boss Jiang, this way," Manager Gu said, opening the car door for him. "Careful, Little Boss Jiang."
They drove straight to Mansory.
Mansory, a world-class car modification company, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Hennessey and Brabus in the realm of personalized vehicle modifications. When it came to "carbon" (carbon fiber), though, Mansory was unmatched.
Jiang Beicheng had a passion for internal combustion engines and was obsessed with the power systems of performance cars. His previous vehicle, a 4.4-liter Range Rover SV, had been modified by Mansory into a 6.0T V8 off-road beast. An executive SUV had been transformed into a desert monster. With a base price of over 3 million yuan plus Mansory's 1.2 million yuan modification package, the car's total cost soared to 4.5 million yuan—the most powerful Range Rover in the country.
This time, Jiang Beicheng had ordered a full-size SUV, a Cadillac Escalade, through Mansory's channels, with modification parts costing over 1.5 million yuan.
He was thrilled about the final product. "Is Boss Zhu here?"
"He's here, Little Boss Jiang. The parts for your car were personally ordered by Boss Zhu from our German headquarters. There were no materials available in Beijing, so he oversaw everything himself. He's at the shop now, setting up your car delivery ceremony," Manager Gu said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear readers,
If you happen to notice any errors, typos, or inconsistencies in the text, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help me improve the story. Together, we can make it as polished and enjoyable as possible!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------