Section 1

The wheelchair collided with the desk behind with a loud "bang," and Lin Yufan barely managed to hold on and not fall. He raised his hand and slowly wiped the corner of his mouth, revealing a hint of a bitter smile: "Zhuo Yang, thank you for giving me a punch. In all these days, you are the only one who hasn't looked at me with pity as if I were a cripple."

Tang Xiaoxiao had taken flights often and had encountered such people before. In the past, she would have simply let it go, but today she wanted to take care of the injured nearby and did not wish to yield casually. Therefore, she raised her hand to signal the flight attendant to come over

Nie Zhuoyang said little, tightly pursing his lips, with a cold expression on his face, he stepped aside slightly.

Nie Zhuoyang entered the study, glanced around, and said to Lin Yufan: "What do you think of the housekeeper I introduced to you this time? Aunt Tian is a retired nurse from a top-tier hospital. If it weren't for the financial difficulties at home, she wouldn't have come out to work."

The chief attendant, in her thirties, had a gentle and serene appearance, with her long hair meticulously styled in a bun at the back of her head. The golden nameplate on her chest bore the three characters "Ye Ru." She cast a glance at the captain standing at the door of the cockpit, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Haitian Yuyuan is located beside Binhai Avenue in Binhai City, a rare garden-style high-end residential community in the bustling city center. At around 9 a.m., the community is quiet, as those who need to work have gone to their jobs, leaving only a few elderly individuals pushing strollers, sitting in the shade of the trees, playing with the children and chatting.

Passengers behind had long been dissatisfied with the arrogance and self-importance of the woman in sunglasses, and immediately a chorus of boos erupted. In the end, the woman in sunglasses had no choice but to stand up. Her assistant came from behind, opened the overhead compartment, and was about to help her take down her carry-on luggage, but she preemptively raised her hand and angrily yanked down the luggage herself.

Nie Zhuoyang has quite a number of fans who are all supporting him. However, with so many voices, it is inevitable that some will make excessive remarks, which immediately drew criticism from the celebrity fan community, dubbing Nie Zhuoyang as the "greatest captain in history"

On that day, a large number of fans waiting at the airport for the female celebrity were left disappointed, and the main character of the new drama's press conference that evening did not make an appearance, prompting the media to comment that the star was being difficult. It was only then that the female celebrity revealed that the reason for her absence was that she had been "unjustly" removed from the plane by the captain of Star Airlines.

Thank you, she is very good, almost staying with me for eight hours every day, no different from a personal caregiver. Lin Yufan leaned back against the chair, closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead wearily, "Go ahead, what is it that requires you to come in person?"

"You had a drink before boarding the plane, didn't you?" Ye Ru detected a strong smell of alcohol, slightly furrowing her brow, and patiently advised, "The flight in two hours is an Airbus A380, with many first-class seats available. Why not switch to that flight?"

The woman in sunglasses saw two police officers approaching from behind and immediately panicked: "I won't get off the plane! I haven't committed any crime, what right do you have to make me leave? I have a new drama press conference at the seaside tonight, and all the major media and fans are waiting for me..."

He looked up at the surrounding buildings, lazily curling the corners of his mouth. The sunlight fell on the slanting corners of his eyes, highlighting his distinct features. He was none other than Nie Zhuoyang, who was currently in a period of suspension.

As the dark clouds dispersed, under the vast starlit sky, he turned to the side, gazing at her tenderly and deeply, gradually lowering his head.

The woman in sunglasses was rendered speechless by the first remark, and the other passengers, upon seeing the young and handsome captain personally come out to explain, leaned forward to observe, excited and thrilled as if they had encountered a celebrity, with some even taking out their cameras to take pictures. Hearing the sound of the shutter, the woman in sunglasses shrugged her shoulders, lowered her head, and turned her face towards the window. "Please cooperate, or this plane will remain in Beijing and not depart," Nie Zhuoyang said with a solemn expression, his voice calm yet imbued with authority.

"I haven't fought with anyone for a full seven years! This punch is for her," Nie Zhuoyang said as he rubbed his fist and pointed at Lin Yufan's nose. "As for the score between us, I'll wait until you're healed and can stand up before we have a proper fight!"

Lin Yufan has been injured for more than three months. The cast on the fractured area has been removed, but the leg still lacks strength and is unable to bear weight. The situation regarding medical treatment in Beijing is not very optimistic; the experts stated that he can only start with rehabilitation exercises and acupuncture to see how it goes

Lin Yufan, feeling somewhat disheartened, tugged at the corner of his mouth and slightly lifted his eyelids: "Do you think I am unable to stand up, which is why you are offering help in my time of need?"

This is Lin Yufan's residence. After his injury, he continues to live alone, only hiring a part-time maid to take care of his daily needs

In the palm of the hand lies another cufflink, a rectangular piece made of pure silver, one end adorned with Montblanc's distinctive hexagonal white star emblem, resembling a twinkling star, radiating exquisite brilliance, unmatched elegance, yet lonely and cold.

"Why does my sitting here affect the plane's takeoff?" the woman in sunglasses exclaimed irritably. "The seating arrangement on the plane is calculated based on weight distribution. If you do not sit in your assigned seat, it can affect safety, and the captain may refuse to take off," Ye Ru replied in a calm and gentle tone. "Don't try to fool me! It's just a matter of changing seats; how can it be that serious? You are doing this on purpose to make things difficult for me!"

Tang Xiaoxiao bent down to pick up the cufflink, biting her lower lip, her face flushed, holding back the tears that were about to spill over, saying nothing, and turned to leave

"Do you really think we can still be friends?" Lin Yufan said coldly, then turned back to his wheelchair, opened the drawer, and rummaged through it. "Anyway, I will still come before your injury heals!" Tang Xiaoxiao stepped forward. "But you are not welcome here!" Lin Yufan clenched his fist, the cold metal cufflinks digging painfully into his palm, "I don't want to see anyone related to Anqi right now, especially you! The farther you stay away from me, the better!" Tang Xiaoxiao twisted the shopping bag in her hands, biting her lip in silence. Lin Yufan turned his head, giving a slight cold smile: "Why aren't you leaving yet? I don't need your help; I just have a limp, but I'm not useless!"

Hearing the sound of the door closing, Lin Yufan turned his wheelchair to face the entrance and slowly spread his hands.

Behind the partition is the premium economy class. Tang Xiaoxiao placed her carry-on luggage properly, only to find that someone was already seated in her assigned seat

The "most impressive pilot in history" chuckled self-deprecatingly, walked straight towards the middle building, took the elevator up, freed one hand to take out the key to unlock the door, and entered room 912

"Excuse me, miss, this is not your seat, is it?" Tang Xiaoxiao inquired with a pleasant expression.

What does it mean? I, I didn't do it on purpose! The woman in sunglasses stubbornly refuses to admit her mistake after causing trouble

Despite her repeated shouting, she was still taken to the cabin door by the police

As Nie Zhuoyang just entered the restroom, Tang Xiaoxiao came in carrying a bag. Lin Yufan recognized her footsteps, turned his wheelchair, and said in a hoarse voice: "What are you doing here?" Tang Xiaoxiao stood at the door of the study, momentarily taken aback by his words: "Even though you broke up with my cousin, we are still friends, right?"

Unexpectedly, Nie Zhuoyang pointed to Tang Xiaoxiao, who had a band-aid on her forehead, and said: "Please apologize to this passenger before leaving"

The car door opened, and a young man stepped out holding several boxes of various sizes. Dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans, he appeared even taller and more upright against the backdrop of the sturdy and robust vehicle.

Tang Xiaoxiao couldn't help but chuckle at her disheveled appearance, feeling a great sense of relief, as if the wound on her forehead no longer hurt. She smiled gratefully at Nie Zhuoyang, but when she turned her head, she met Lin Yufan's dark, ink-like eyes, causing her heart to sink.

Lin Yufan grasped the cup, his expression gloomy as he took a sip of water

As the situation escalated, under pressure from various parties, Nie Zhuoyang canceled the verified status of "Starship Captain" on his Weibo account and apologized to the vast number of netizens, stating that his fans, acting impulsively, had used inappropriate language and diverted the issue towards unrelated matters. However, the starting point for everyone has always been aviation safety. Subsequently, Nie Zhuoyang submitted a leave of absence request and disappeared from the public eye

"Your injury hasn't healed, so if I speak a bit harshly, I won't hold it against you." Nie Zhuoyang ignored him further, opened the packaging box, began connecting the hardware, and then debugging the software. Half an hour later, Nie Zhuoyang clapped his hands and stood up straight: "It's all set up! Would you like to give it a try?" Lin Yufan smiled faintly: "Since you're so capable, why not help me clear the drain while you're at it? The sink is clogged." Nie Zhuoyang glanced at him, smiled nonchalantly, rolled up his shirt sleeves: "No problem." After a while, Nie Zhuoyang threw a shiny Montblanc cufflink to Lin Yufan: "The cufflink fell in."

Tang Xiaoxiao, who was following behind, couldn't help but exclaim that the service in the first class of Xinghang Airlines was truly attentive and considerate, unlike Jiehang Airlines. Although Jiehang is considered one of the leading private airlines, it has always operated as a low-cost carrier, with its fleet entirely lacking first-class cabins, making it quite inconvenient for passengers using wheelchairs to board. This must be why Lin Yufan chose to fly with another airline

Ye Ru smiled gently and carefully handed the cup to Lin Yufan, saying, "Mr. Lin, here is your water, please hold it carefully"

"So this is what was blocking it." Lin Yufan gently rubbed his long fingers on the cufflinks, his eyes lowered as if lost in distant thoughts. Nie Zhuoyang glanced at the door and asked, "Is that girl coming over after her night shift today?"

With a soft "ding," something small fell to the floor with a flick of Lin Yufan's hand, glimmering with light

Lin Yufan! With a furious shout, a fist laden with dampness struck Lin Yufan's cheek.

Only extremely important guests are personally welcomed by the captain, but there was no notification of any VIP passengers for this flight. Ye Ru thought for a moment and walked over to ask, "Are there any important guests today?" The young and handsome captain looked at the jet bridge with a somewhat gloomy expression, absentmindedly replied with a "mm," and then quickly came to his senses, shaking his head: "Oh, it's an old classmate of mine who was injured and is not very mobile." Ye Ru did not ask further, just nodded to indicate that she would take good care of him. Before the passengers boarded, the captain had already turned and returned to the cockpit. Passengers boarded one after another, and indeed, there was a wheelchair. Ye Ru hurried over to assist the passenger with mobility difficulties to his seat. The middle-aged man pushing the wheelchair expressed his thanks and also sat down in the adjacent seat. Observing that the passenger in the wheelchair had slightly chapped lips, the attentive Ye Ru turned to pour a cup of warm water and walked over, leaning down: "Mr. Lin, please drink some water; it's warm." Her speech was gentle, and her voice soft, carrying a particularly warm feeling, which made Lin Yufan involuntarily look up and take a glance at her.

Tang Xiaoxiao was standing under the luggage compartment, and before she could step aside, a twenty-inch hard-shell suitcase fell down and struck her forehead. "Ouch!" Tang Xiaoxiao cried out in pain, falling to the ground and covering her forehead. Nie Zhuoyang quickly stepped forward to help her up, his face filled with concern: "Are you okay?" Tang Xiaoxiao slowly shook her head, feeling a bit dizzy, and the corner of her forehead was burning with pain. When she lowered her hand to take a look, she found it was indeed smeared with some blood. Nie Zhuoyang's expression suddenly turned serious; he handed her over to the flight attendant nearby to assist her and stepped forward to block the woman in sunglasses who was about to walk towards the rear cabin seats, saying in a deep voice: "Please disembark the plane!"

This time, Lin Yufan came to Beijing specifically to attend to his leg injury. He is an executive at Jiehang, and since he has no close relatives around him, Chairman Zhuo Qiyuan specially assigned someone to accompany and take care of him, which shows the importance placed on him. On the other hand, Tang Xiaoxiao could not sit in first class due to her internship break and the use of flight tickets.

Wait! Nie Zhuoyang called out to her

"Indeed, it is that serious." The captain, adorned with four golden stripes on his shoulders, appeared behind Ye Ru. Tang Xiaoxiao was taken aback, not expecting that today's flight was actually Nie Zhuoyang's. Was it a coincidence or a deliberate arrangement? Nie Zhuoyang stepped forward, his clear voice steady and unhurried: "Before each flight takes off, the ground loading and balance department calculates the aircraft's balance parameters based on the number of passengers and the weight of the cargo. Passengers are then reasonably distributed across specific seats on the aircraft, and we pilots fly according to these relevant balance parameters. Therefore, it is not permitted for passengers to change seats at will, as this could lead to an imbalance in the aircraft, affecting operational performance and jeopardizing flight safety. Thus, please return to your assigned seat immediately."

"I am taking a flight, not piloting one. What does it matter if I had a little to drink?" The woman in sunglasses adjusted her shades and said, "Do you know who I am? Can you bear the responsibility for delaying my important matters? If it weren't for the time constraint, who would want to take your lousy flight!" Ye Ru remained unperturbed and calmly replied, "Regardless of who you are, everyone must adhere to the rules on the plane. Please return to your seat promptly to avoid affecting the normal takeoff of the aircraft."

Lin Yufan forcefully pushed her hand away, his voice cold: "Tang Xiaoxiao, you know very well that Anqi has already found someone else in America, yet you have been keeping it from me? Don't forget, I am a man! If you truly regarded me as a friend, you would not have done this!"

She will not be coming over. Lin Yufan clenched the cufflinks, opened the drawer, and threw them inside, saying, "You remember it clearly."

How long has it been since they last fought? The last time was during their senior year of high school. That winter, the coastal city in Jiangnan was unusually cold. After the New Year, a heavy snowfall occurred. One evening during self-study, Nie Zhuoyang inexplicably dragged him into a small grove behind the school to have a fight.

The woman in sunglasses was taken aback, then stamped her foot in frustration: "If you want to leave, then go ahead. If you think I will apologize, you are mistaken! Just wait, I am going to file a complaint!"

It was originally a trivial matter, but that woman refused to go back. Even though the first-class cabin ahead was already full, she insisted on upgrading her seat. Ye Ru, who was in the front cabin, noticed the commotion and came over to persuade her to return to her own seat.

It was a silver cufflink, a gift she bought for him with her entire month's bonus last month to celebrate his removal of the plaster. His initials were engraved on the cufflink, which originally came as a pair, but now only one remains, lonely and solitary.

The woman in sunglasses raised her face and snorted, "I am the main character; the press conference is waiting for me, and you cannot afford to delay!"

The woman sitting by the window wore butterfly-wing-shaped sunglasses that obscured much of her face, remaining completely still, as if she were oblivious to her surroundings, and a faint scent of alcohol emanated from her.

The fans of the female celebrity have erupted in outrage, and no one could have anticipated the immense power of the internet. The fans managed to uncover the relationship between Nie Zhuoyang and Tang Xiaoxiao through Nie Zhuoyang's verified Weibo account. Originally, Nie Zhuoyang was merely exercising the authority of a captain by removing a drunken female celebrity who was causing a disturbance, endangering passengers, and potentially jeopardizing flight safety from the plane. His actions were not inappropriate, yet he was bombarded by the female celebrity's fans, who accused him of using public office for personal gain and seeking revenge out of resentment. Originally, Nie Zhuoyang was merely exercising the authority of a captain by removing a drunken female celebrity who was causing a disturbance, endangering passengers, and potentially jeopardizing flight safety from the plane. His actions were not inappropriate, yet he was bombarded by the female celebrity's fans, who accused him of using public office for personal gain and seeking revenge out of resentment

The last two individuals were utterly exhausted, lying down in the snow. Nie Zhuoyang turned over and punched him in the chest, saying, "Lin Zi, I didn't expect you to be so thin, yet quite strong."

Tang Xiaoxiao looked at the neurotic cold smile on his face with some disbelief. Was this still the Lin Yufan who was once refined, elegant, and charming? But when she met his dark, gloomy eyes, her feelings of shame and disappointment instantly turned into sorrow. She reached out her hand to tug at him, saying, "Senior Brother..."

Of course I remember. They work in shifts every four days, with the day shift the day before yesterday and the night shift yesterday. Nie Zhuoyang intentionally elaborated, rolling up his damp cuffs again, shaking his head, "However, I am grounded now, so I don't have to worry about anything. I might as well go and connect the water pipe for you."

After Nie Zhuoyang finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the door. Just then, the hourly worker came in through the door. He took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out all the money inside, and stuffed it into her hands: "Aunt Tian, you have worked hard during this time; this is your overtime pay. Please take good care of him."

Tang Xiaoxiao returned to her seat with a heavy heart. The plane took off on time, but no one anticipated that the aftermath would be far from over, leading to further climaxes.

Nie Zhuoyang placed the box on the table: "This is a complete smart voice recognition control system. With this, you can freely open and close the door and control the lights in all rooms while lying in bed."

In the afternoon of July, during the peak of summer in Beijing, the weather is clear and dry. Waves of heat rise from the tarmac as the jet bridge slowly extends, seamlessly connecting to an Airbus A320 adorned with silver wings and a star emblem. Inside the cabin, everything is ready; the elegant flight attendants stand on either side of the entrance, smiling, waiting to welcome the passengers

A black Land Rover drove into the community, elegantly swerving its tail and precisely fitting into the parking space under the tree, the harsh sound of the brakes causing several elderly individuals to turn their heads in curiosity

Lin Yufan watched Nie Zhuoyang leave, a self-deprecating smile faintly appearing on his lips. He turned his wheelchair, reached for the cane placed beside the desk, pressed his lips tightly together, and made an effort to lift himself up.

The first class of the Airbus A320 consists of only two rows with a total of eight seats. In accordance with her usual practice, Ye Ru had already carefully noted the names and special requests of the passengers before boarding. This particular traveler, whose leg injury had not yet healed, had a certificate from the hospital permitting air travel and required wheelchair assistance

I have always insisted on sitting in first class; what is this high-end economy class? It is already cramped enough, the seats in the back are so narrow that I can't even stretch my legs, how am I supposed to sit?" The woman in sunglasses leaned back, exuding an air of having settled in here.