The following day.
At ten in the morning, Capital Airport.
A passenger plane from the capital to Jiangzhou was due to take off in five minutes.
Bai Bing apologised to Ye Qiu, “Sorry, I booked the tickets too late. There were no seats left in first class or business class.”
Ye Qiu held her hand and smiled, “No bother. As long as I’m with you, any seat will do.”
Hearing this, Bai Bing felt as if she’d tasted honey.
“What’s the plan for Grandpa?” Ye Qiu asked.
Bai Bing replied with a hint of helplessness, “Grandpa doesn’t want to go home, nor does he want to come with me to Jiangzhou, so I had to ask Old Tang for help. He’s arranged for Grandpa to stay at the Capital Military District Sanatorium.”
Ye Qiu nodded, “That’s a good shout. If he went home alone, he’d likely feel lonely. The sanatorium has plenty of retired old cadres—General Bai can chat with them, play some chess, and perhaps feel a bit cheerier.”
“Mm,” Bai Bing agreed. “When I’ve got a moment, I’ll pop back to the capital to see him.”
As the scheduled takeoff time approached, the plane remained on the ground.
Passengers began to mutter:
“What’s going on?”
“It’s time—why aren’t we off yet?”
“I’m in a rush here.”
Just then, a uniformed air hostess entered the cabin, her face adorned with a professional smile. “Dear passengers, apologies, but we’re waiting for one more passenger who hasn’t boarded, so we can’t take off just yet.”
Ye Qiu glanced at the seat beside him.
Their row had three seats, and the one by the aisle next to him was empty—clearly meant for the tardy passenger.
The grumbling grew louder.
“Is it fair to make all of us wait for one person?”
“No sense of time—why even bother flying?”
“What rotten luck to be on this flight.”
The hostess continued, “This passenger is a VIP client of our airline, so per our policy, we must wait for them. I know this might delay you a bit, and to earn your understanding, we’ve prepared some snacks and drinks. They’ll be handed out shortly. Thank you for your patience.”
About five minutes later, the snacks were distributed—each passenger received a piece of bread and a bottle of milk.
It calmed the crowd down.
But after another forty minutes, the missing passenger still hadn’t arrived, and the others grew restless again.
Ye Qiu furrowed his brow slightly. He wasn’t pressed for time, but delaying takeoff this long for one person seemed a tad unreasonable.
Noticing his displeasure, Bai Bing quickly changed the subject. “Does Lin Jingzhi know you’re heading back?”
Ye Qiu shook his head. “Lin Sis hasn’t a clue yet.”
“Planning to surprise her, then have a little ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ moment tonight?” Bai Bing gave him a sidelong glance, a touch of displeasure in her tone.
“What’s this, Ice Sis—jealous?” Ye Qiu teased.
“Not in the slightest.”
“Oh, come off it—your lips are all pouty, and you say you’re not.” Ye Qiu slipped an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, “You’re spot on—I’m planning a reunion with Lin Sis. If you’re not fussed, you could join us~”
“In your dreams!” Bai Bing huffed with a playful snort.
As they chatted, the passengers started arguing with the crew.
“What’s the holdup? Where’s this passenger?”
“We’ve been waiting nearly an hour!”
“They’re a VIP—what, we’re not?”
“If we don’t take off soon, I’ll lodge a complaint against this crew!”
Just then, the chief purser walked in with a woman in tow.
“Sorry for keeping you all waiting,” she said. “The passenger has arrived.”
“Miss Jin, this is your seat,” she added, pointing to the spot next to Ye Qiu.
The woman wore a long trench coat, hat, sunglasses, and mask, covering her face entirely. Ignoring the purser, she moved to sit, only to pause as the passengers’ discontent reached her ears:
“What’s this about—making all of us wait for her alone? That’s outrageous.”
“Too right.”
“What a bloody nuisance.”
“Who’re you calling a nuisance?” she snapped, yanking off her sunglasses.
In an instant, a striking face came into view—delicate features, heavy makeup, and an air of superiority.
As she spoke, she shed her trench coat, revealing a daringly short dress beneath. The neckline plunged almost to her navel, exposing vast stretches of pale skin and an impressive figure. The skirt, no more than thirty centimeters long, was paired with stockings and black high heels, making her legs look endlessly long and straight.
“Blimey, it’s Jin Lingling!”
“No wonder they held the plane for one person—it’s Jin Lingling!”
“She’s truly Hua Nation’s top宅男女神—her figure’s enough to give you a nosebleed.”
“Spot on—her body’s unreal. I reckon she grew up on melons.”
“Fancy seeing a celeb in economy—I’ve got to snap a photo with her.”
The once-disgruntled passengers flipped their tune upon recognising her.
The men, especially, stared intently, practically peeling her clothes off with their eyes.
Jin Lingling was off to Jiangzhou for a new beauty shop endorsement. With her fame and status, she usually travelled first class, but this rushed job left her assistant with only economy seats. She’d been fuming—nearly called it off—but the ten-million-yuan fee persuaded her.
Seeing the stunned looks around her, her mood finally perked up. As a celebrity, she thrived on being adored.
Soon, people flocked to her for photos. Some dodgy blokes snuck shots of her chest and legs with their phones. She noticed but didn’t mind—instead, she posed closer with a few, playing to her宅男 fanbase. They were over the moon, instantly turning into die-hard fans.
A few minutes later, she settled into her seat.
“Hello, could you—” Ye Qiu began.
Jin Lingling flashed a dazzling smile. “You want a photo with me, don’t you? Go on then.”
Ye Qiu rubbed his nose. “Actually—”
Unbeknownst to him, she took his gesture as a fan’s nervous tic upon meeting their idol.
“No need to be shy! Whip out your phone—I’ll take it for you. I’m ace at photos~” she chirped.
“Er—sorry, I meant to ask if you could shift a bit. I need to pop to the loo.”
Her face turned beetroot red in an instant.
