On the Plane, a Return Journey Filled with Doubts and Questions

On a private jet.

A young woman in an OL office outfit knelt on the aircraft floor, delicately cradling a slender, silk-clad foot in her hand. The foot was petite and exquisitely shaped, its rosy hue faintly visible through the sheer black stockings, the skin so fair it seemed almost translucent.

The owner of this delicate foot frowned slightly as she looked down at Liu Qingyue, who was preparing to slip a pair of black high heels onto her. "I don't need these. Find something else," she said softly.

"You're being too rigid, Young Mistress!"

Liu Qingyue’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious. She set the heels aside and stood up, straightening her own office attire—a fitted blazer over a long-sleeved shirt, paired with a professional skirt and 80-denier black stockings, the epitome of sleek, sophisticated elegance.

But Ji Qingyi had already changed into the outfit—except for the heels. It was like watching a country girl suddenly dressed in designer clothes, yet lacking the poise to match.

Ji Qingyi eyed the discarded heels with clear discomfort. "Just looking at them makes me feel uneasy. They seem like such a burden."

"But if you don’t wear them, your disguise might fall apart!"

Liu Qingyue crouched down again, picking up the heels and coaxing, "These shoes will accentuate your figure and help mask your usual demeanor. They’ll alter your posture, your gait—everything. No one will recognize you. That’s the whole point of this disguise!"

Ji Qingyi sat back on the plush sofa in the jet’s luxurious cabin, staring at the shoes before shaking her head once more.

With a resigned sigh, Liu Qingyue produced another pair—black, understated Oxford-style loafers, crafted from the finest European leather. She knelt and carefully slipped them onto Ji Qingyi’s feet before looking up. "Do these suit you better, Young Mistress?"

Ji Qingyi stood, testing the fit with a few steps. The comfort was comparable to her usual school shoes, so she nodded in approval.

For her, comfort and practicality trumped everything. Even cheap streetwear would suffice if it felt right and aligned with her aesthetic.

"Young Mistress, we still have two hours to wait. They’ve only just started boarding. Please be patient," Liu Qingyue reminded, exhaustion creeping into her voice after days of nonstop travel.

But Ji Qingyi’s gaze lingered on Liu Qingyue, now half a head taller in her heels, and frowned. "Change your shoes too. I don’t like the height difference."

"Ah…"

Liu Qingyue hesitated but complied, swapping her heels for the same black loafers.

Ji Qingyi’s eyes then dropped to Liu Qingyue’s chest, her tone edged with displeasure. "What’s that padding for?"

Liu Qingyue glanced down, then met her gaze with a deadpan expression. "Young Mistress, would you like to try? It’ll make you even harder to recogni—"

"Enough. Shameless."

————————————————————

Boarding time arrived.

Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue, guided by the flight crew, stepped onto the plane.

That stubborn white cowlick of his remained untouched—and after their mutual massage session in the lounge, an unspoken tension lingered between them, leaving their interactions sparse.

As they settled into their seats, Su Cheng noted the spaciousness—far roomier than economy class, just as Gu Ruoxue had promised.

Their seats were arranged diagonally side by side, separated only by a small partition, with enough privacy that hushed conversations wouldn’t disturb other passengers.

Su Cheng took the window seat first, and Gu Ruoxue sat beside him.

This puzzled him.

If given the choice, wouldn’t anyone prefer the window? The view of sprawling cityscapes or dreamlike skies was half the appeal of flying.

Yet Gu Ruoxue had surrendered the prized spot to him.

Baffled, he turned to her—only to find her visibly unsettled, her gaze darting nervously around.

Even a fool could guess why: Gu Ruoxue was scared.

Afraid of flying?

How laughable.

"Wait—"

A sudden realization struck Su Cheng, his own face paling. Given Gu Ruoxue’s apparent ability to foresee the future, did this mean the plane was doomed?

Heart pounding, he nudged her with a finger.

Gu Ruoxue blinked at him, confused.

Leaning close, Su Cheng whispered urgently, "Is this plane going to crash?"

She stared at him blankly before rolling her eyes. "Are you a conspiracy theorist or just paranoid?"

"Then why do you look so uncomfortable?" he pressed, relieved but still curious.

She pursed her lips, offering no reply.

Ah. So Gu Ruoxue had a fear of heights—one she was desperately trying to hide.

Just then, the plane began taxiing, the loss of stable ground sending a slight tremor through the cabin as it ascended.

Gu Ruoxue gripped her seatbelt, jaw clenched, fighting to keep her composure.

"You’re afraid of heights?" Su Cheng asked quietly.

"...A little."

"Then why take a plane?"

She shot him a glare, clearly tempted to retort, but sighed instead. "We were short on time."

Su Cheng paused, realizing the alternative—trains or subways—would’ve taken an entire day.

Gu Ruoxue placed a hand on her chest, took a deep breath, and gently closed her eyes as she murmured, "I'll sleep for a while. I won’t eat anything."

"Alright."

Hearing this, he also leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest, but curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t help but glance out at the pitch-black night outside.

Just then, the soft voice of a flight attendant came from the front. He looked up and saw a flight attendant wearing an apron, pushing a meal cart while opening it to warmly introduce the options to the first passenger: "We have fish-flavored shredded pork, mapo tofu…"

Soon, the flight attendant reached the seat in front of him, where a woman was sitting with her child. The flight attendant handed the child what looked like a kids' meal box, smiling sweetly as she said, "Here you go, young sir. Enjoy."

When the child opened it, he noticed it contained a pudding and an extra little panda keychain.

This made him glance at Gu Ruoxue, who was still resting with her eyes closed. At the same time, the flight attendant approached with the cart, and upon noticing the sleeping passenger, her movements became even more delicate. She flashed a professional smile and whispered, "Sir…"

"I’ll have a pudding. She won’t be eating," Su Cheng replied quietly.

"Of course," the flight attendant responded with a sweet smile. "Just a moment, please."

She handed him a pudding, but the motion still managed to wake Gu Ruoxue. She opened her bleary eyes, took a look, then closed them again to rest.

Su Cheng glanced at her, then at the pudding on the tray table. Without hesitation, he opened it—sure enough, there was a panda keychain inside.

He decided to give it to Gu Ruoxue later.

Then, he quietly ate his pudding while admiring the pitch-black scenery outside the window.

Not long after he finished, another flight attendant came by, this time offering desserts and beverages.

Gu Ruoxue opened her eyes and, when asked, requested a brown sugar bun and jasmine tea.

Su Cheng, meanwhile, ordered a yogurt and a small cake.

The two ate in silence.

Su Cheng turned his head curiously and noticed that the bun Gu Ruoxue had asked for was tiny—small enough to hold three in one palm. It was a reddish-brown color, with a sweet, fluffy appearance.

She held the bun in one hand and a cup of jasmine tea in the other, taking small, elegant sips. Her movements were refined, like those of a well-mannered young lady who had clearly grown up under strict discipline.

Once they finished eating, they folded their tray tables away. Su Cheng reached out, clenched his fist, and lightly bumped her shoulder. She turned to look, and he gave her a playful grin, signaling for her to open it.

Though puzzled, she obediently complied, pressing her slender, pale fingers against his fist. He then flipped his hand open, revealing—

A panda keychain reflected in Gu Ruoxue’s eyes.

She froze, seemingly caught off guard by what was inside, and for a moment, she just stared blankly.

But right then, the plane suddenly trembled slightly due to turbulence—

Gu Ruoxue tensed up instinctively, gripping his palm with one hand and his wrist with the other.

The abruptness of it all made Su Cheng stiffen in disbelief. She had always carried herself with such strength and aloofness—seeing her display such vulnerability now left him flustered.

"Sorry, I just got startled," Gu Ruoxue said in a tone laced with subtle apology, which only made Su Cheng feel more awkward.

At the same time, she took the panda keychain from his palm and withdrew her cool, smooth hand from his wrist. A faint sense of loss settled in Su Cheng’s chest—he hadn’t wanted her to let go, even if just for a moment longer.

"Thank you."

Gu Ruoxue settled back into her seat and began examining the keychain, as if nothing had happened. She was once again the composed, proud, and unapproachable young mistress.

But then, the plane shook again. She clutched the keychain to her chest, as though afraid the plane might crash—or perhaps worried she might lose the little trinket she’d grown fond of.

Seeing this, Su Cheng realized he should probably do something.

He shifted slightly, pressing his shoulder against hers.

Gu Ruoxue turned to him in surprise, but when she saw the firm resolve in his expression, her tension inexplicably eased. Softly, she murmured, "I like the keychain."

Then, she continued holding it close to her heart.

The turbulence grew more frequent, shaking the plane every few minutes. Gu Ruoxue’s face was pale, but she remained calm.

And then—

"What are we to each other?"

Su Cheng suddenly blurted out the question.

Gu Ruoxue paused for a second before lowering her lashes and answering, "President and member."

"Not exes?"

"No."

"Really?"

Su Cheng mimicked a certain shoulder-shaking technique that supposedly took two and a half years to master, then turned his gaze forward.

The exaggerated motion naturally caught Gu Ruoxue’s attention. She studied the broad line of his shoulder, an unreadable expression flickering across her face, before shifting her focus back to his profile. "I don’t like relying on anyone," she stated firmly.

Su Cheng nodded slightly, offering no rebuttal.

To him, his earlier gesture had probably been presumptuous—just a polite suggestion from a gentleman.

But the next moment, to his utter astonishment, he felt a light, almost feline nudge against his shoulder. He turned to find Gu Ruoxue leaning her head against him, eyes closed, as if she’d fallen asleep…

And when the plane trembled again, she remained perfectly still—no flinching, no tension, her breathing even and steady, as though she truly were asleep.

Now it was Su Cheng’s turn to panic. Though her head rested lightly on his shoulder, weightless as a wisp of air, he couldn’t shake the irrational fear that she might vanish at any moment.

What’s more, through the fabric of his clothes, he could distinctly feel the warmth of her body seeping into him.

And then there was her scent—fresh, faintly floral—lingering in the air around them.

He didn’t dare move, afraid of disturbing her rest, but he couldn’t resist muttering under his breath, "I thought you said you didn’t like it?"

Unexpectedly, Gu Ruoxue parted her lips and replied,

"I don’t particularly like it… but I don’t dislike it either."