People, Different Scenes, All About Water

In the first-class cabin of a certain flight.

A private compartment.

A young woman with long, straight black hair, dressed in a black dress, reclined on the bed, expressionlessly flipping through a magazine. Her slender legs, encased in black stockings, were elegantly crossed, forming a graceful curve.

However, after several minutes, she hadn’t turned a single page—clearly distracted, as if pondering a difficult problem… or perhaps waiting for something.

Worth noting, she hadn’t worn the stockings gifted by someone.

Though this was a domestic flight, its luxury rivaled international routes. Not only did each passenger receive one-on-one, kneeling service from the flight attendants, but the private compartments offered ample space and complete privacy.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

The worry between her brows dissipated as she slid the compartment door open. A flight attendant entered, first offering a respectful bow to the black-clad young woman before speaking with a polite smile, "Esteemed guest, the shower room you reserved is ready. Would you like to freshen up now?"

She nodded and turned toward the bathroom.

The flight attendant followed, arranging bath salts and massage accessories in the shower, even adjusting the water temperature with meticulous care.

"Is there anything else you require?" the attendant asked.

"Nothing," the black-clad girl replied coolly, shaking her head. The attendant then withdrew, closing the door behind her.

Once alone, the girl was about to slip away when her gaze landed on the vanity counter. A shadow of contemplation flickered in her eyes.

It occurred to her—if it were him, he’d definitely take these.

So, she stepped closer, swept all the complimentary toiletries into her bag, and even stuffed the new pajamas inside.

Waste not, want not!

With that done, she swiftly slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped into the corridor. Spotting the waiting flight attendant, she slowed her pace, walking past casually.

The attendant didn’t notice a thing.

Then, she quietly approached the curtain separating first class from business class and lifted it slightly…

Peering inside, she saw the business-class passengers resting with their eyes closed—but not the person she’d been hoping to find.

Undeterred, she crept forward a few more meters, reaching the very edge of business class near the window.

And there—a profile came into view.

The owner of that profile—Gu Ruoxue!

And she was resting her head on the shoulder of the man beside her.

Li Guanqi’s eyes flickered, but she refused to believe it. She took two more steps forward, and the familiar face became unmistakable.

The two were nestled close together. From her angle, Gu Ruoxue’s head practically melted into Su Cheng’s shoulder—the picture of an intimate couple.

Her expression shifted—confusion, shock, disbelief—all swirling together before settling into something darker, deeper.

Without a word, she turned and walked away, as if she’d never been there at all.

Minutes later, she was back in her first-class compartment, dropping her bag beside the bed. She grabbed a bottle of water, twisted the cap off, and gulped down half of it.

That scene had shaken her to the core.

They looked like a couple.

Had he regained his memories? Otherwise, why would the proud and aloof Senior Gu act like this?

Would they even share a hotel room after landing tonight?

The thought made Li Guanqi’s cheeks burn, her heartbeat erratic.

Right now, she was tangled in emotions—conflicted, lost, unsure how to face this. And beneath it all, a gnawing worry.

She wasn’t angry at Su Cheng. No, this was about Gu Ruoxue!

She had initiated that closeness!

Gu Ruoxue, the epitome of independence and pride—how could she do something like that?!

Had Su Cheng really remembered everything?

Had they never broken up at all?

…Was she the third wheel?

She forced herself to steady her breathing and checked the time. The plane would land in an hour. She had to figure something out before then.

Just then—another knock at the door.

"Who is it?" she asked, voice deliberately low and controlled.

"Guanqi, it’s us~"

Xuan Ying’s voice floated through the door.

She let them in, locking the door behind them before returning to the bed. "What’s up?"

Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan made themselves comfortable, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Xuan Ying sighed, her brow furrowing as she tucked her knee-high-sock-clad legs beneath her. Her voice was thick with frustration. "Well… Senior Liu and her colleague will be meeting us at the arrival gate."

Zhao Yan, stretching her sheer-stockinged legs across the bed, added wearily, "She’s inviting Senior Liu Qingyue to resume her studies. She owes her a lot."

Li Guanqi already knew this but played along, nodding. "I see."

Her real focus, though, was on this so-called colleague of Liu Qingyue’s.

No doubt—it was Ji Qingyi.

Su Cheng had mentioned it before boarding.

The Club President would be disguised, tailing Liu Qingyue.

"Did you book a hotel?" Li Guanqi suddenly asked.

Xuan Ying shook her head. "Senior Liu said she’d arrange everything."

"I see…" Li Guanqi murmured, then shifted the topic. "Besides Senior Liu’s matter, is there anything else?"

At this, Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan exchanged glances.

"Well…" Xuan Ying hesitated before continuing, "Since we’re here, I thought we could visit the places where Su Cheng grew up… see his old school, that kind of thing."

Zhao Yan nodded in agreement. "He is our friend and classmate. We should pay our respects, check in on how he’s been. As friends, we should support him however we can."

Li Guanqi listened quietly, her expression unreadable. Finally, she nodded. "In that case, I’ll go with you."

Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan brightened instantly. "Perfect! We’ll stay in the city tonight and head out first thing tomorrow, okay?"

"Actually…" Li Guanqi paused. "I just saw Su Cheng on this flight. With Gu Ruoxue."

---

Not far away, in another first-class compartment…

A golden-haired lolita lounged on the bed, flipping through a manga. Beside her sat a woman in her early twenties, engrossed in a magazine while snacking.

The golden-haired girl was Cornelia, and her companion was her cousin, Andrea.

Yesterday, after overhearing Xuan Ying’s trio discussing their plans, Cornelia had rushed home to tell her mother—who then arranged for Andrea to accompany her under the guise of a vacation.

"So…" Andrea glanced up from her magazine. "Are you still planning to tail them later?"

Andrea was engrossed in a magazine when she suddenly looked up and asked Cornelia, who was sitting beside her, "What do you think they're up to? Those sneaky little troublemakers must be plotting something!"

Cornelia nodded. "I want to know what they're planning. They’re definitely up to no good!"

Andrea, however, seemed displeased. "Following them around sounds exhausting. Didn’t you say you know someone who works at Su Cheng’s welfare home? Why not just ask them to pick us up?"

At this, Cornelia froze for a moment, a familiar name flashing through her mind.

Su Yue.

The kind and beautiful older sister who had been so warm to her during Su Cheng’s birthday celebration—even going so far as to say she and Su Cheng were a perfect match…

But then her expression darkened. She realized she didn’t even have Su Yue’s contact information.

Back then, when she’d asked Su Cheng for it, he had just dodged the question!

"What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you don’t have it?"

Andrea rolled her eyes and tossed the magazine onto the table, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Seriously? And here I thought you two were close. So much for having someone to pick us up."

Cornelia lowered her head dejectedly. After a long silence, she clenched her teeth and looked up again. "Hmph! Once we get to the welfare home and find Su Yue, she’ll definitely welcome us warmly!"

"Fine then. Let’s not follow them anymore. How about we skip staying in the city tonight and head straight to the county to get ahead of them?"

As an adult, trailing after a bunch of kids was just plain annoying and boring.

"Okay!"

After a moment’s thought, Cornelia nodded firmly at her cousin’s suggestion.

……………………………………………………

At an airport in the city

"Miss, please don’t slip up later."

Liu Qingyue and Ji Qingyi were about to set off, and Liu Qingyue couldn’t help but remind her one last time.

"Relax."

Ji Qingyi gave her a cold glance before putting on a face mask, covering most of her striking features.

"And you remember what to call me, right?"

"You’re Liu Qingyue. Xiao Liu."

She uttered the words indifferently and fell silent again.

"Good. Then I’ll refer to you as ‘Sister Wang’ later."

Liu Qingyue also put on her mask as she spoke.

"Mm."

Ji Qingyi responded with the same icy tone, showing no particular emotion. But her demeanor only made Liu Qingyue more anxious.

"Miss, if you act this cold, how are you going to communicate with them later?"

She sighed and tried to persuade her. "Honestly, you’d be better off watching my livestream from the car. You won’t get to experience it firsthand, but at least you won’t risk being exposed or enduring unnecessary discomfort."

"Hah. I don’t need that."

Ji Qingyi shot her a glance and coldly dismissed the idea.

"Fine, I won’t push it. But what did you mean by ‘discomfort’?"

Ji Qingyi’s tone lifted slightly in question.

"Once they land, they’ll have a lot of luggage. We’ll have to help carry their bags, and someone as refined as you shouldn’t be doing such menial labor..."

Liu Qingyue patiently explained.

Ji Qingyi cut her off, slightly annoyed. "It’s just two suitcases. I’m perfectly capable of carrying them."

"Understood."

Liu Qingyue let out a relieved breath and continued, "Then let’s do a quick rehearsal. If you pass, I won’t say another word. But if you don’t..."

"Fine."

Before Liu Qingyue could finish, Ji Qingyi coldly agreed.

"Alright, I’ll play Xuan Ying now!"

Liu Qingyue suddenly removed her mask, grabbed a suitcase, and stepped closer to Ji Qingyi, greeting her politely. "Hello, Sister Wang! Thank you so much for helping us today."

Ji Qingyi met her gaze calmly for a moment before removing her own mask and forcing a stiff smile.

Clearly, feigning warmth didn’t come naturally to her.

"Yes, I’m Xiao Liu’s colleague. You can call me Sister Wang."

She slowly extended her hand.

But Liu Qingyue suddenly crossed her arms in a big X and exclaimed, "Wrong! You’re supposed to help with her luggage while introducing yourself warmly."

Ji Qingyi raised an eyebrow. "Is that necessary?"

"Absolutely! You’re here to help, not to stand around looking superior!"

Liu Qingyue retorted firmly before switching back into character as Xuan Ying. "Hello, Sister Wang! I really appreciate your help."

"It’s no trouble."

Ji Qingyi took the suitcase from her and explained, "I happened to be free tonight, so I thought I’d lend a hand. Please don’t hesitate to ask."

"Oh no, I couldn’t possibly trouble you!"

Liu Qingyue quickly snatched the suitcase back, pretending to refuse politely. "I can handle this myself—no need to bother you."

Ji Qingyi froze in place.

"This is just normal social etiquette. Her politeness is just a formality—you can’t take it at face value. You have to insist!"

Liu Qingyue hurriedly clarified.

Ji Qingyi frowned, staring at her for a long moment before finally relenting.

With that, the luggage-carrying test was over.

"Next, I’ll be Li Guanqi."

Liu Qingyue stepped back and stood motionless, her expression blank as she silently observed Ji Qingyi without saying or doing anything.

A full minute passed.

"Why are you just standing there?"

Ji Qingyi finally spoke, her tone even frostier than before.

Liu Qingyue quickly explained, "That’s just how Li Guanqi is. The moment she sees you, she’ll study you, assess you, and stay guarded. Even if she knows everything, she’ll pretend she doesn’t."

She paused before adding, "Your only job is to avoid being recognized by Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan. Li Guanqi doesn’t matter—in fact, if you slip up, she might even cover for you. That’s just the kind of person she is."

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi’s expression softened slightly.

"You’re implying Su Cheng already warned her about this, aren’t you?"

Ji Qingyi asked coolly.

"Exactly. Su Cheng would’ve definitely given Li Guanqi a heads-up. No doubt about it."

Liu Qingyue nodded.

Ji Qingyi pressed her lips together, her eyes flickering thoughtfully.

"Then how do I ensure they treat me with proper respect and courtesy—without revealing my identity?"

Ji Qingyi suddenly asked.

"Easy," Liu Qingyue replied with confidence. "Just act as you normally do. Even if you’re stern and aloof, I guarantee they’ll still treat you with reverence!"

"Go on."

Ji Qingyi arched a brow, intrigued.

"All we need is to give you a little backstory."

"A backstory?"