Chapter 73

Yang Yunran felt it wasn’t right. He was already in a relationship, and he didn’t understand why his father had arranged this for him. Was it just to let him feast his eyes?

Yang Yunran raised his head and looked for a few seconds. They were indeed quite pleasing to the eye.

Secretary Gao pulled out a tablet and recorded:

“At 18:15, Master Yun looked at No. 2 and No. 4 for a total of 7 seconds.”

“Do you need me to introduce them to you?” Secretary Gao bent down and said to Yang Yunran, “From left to right, this is No. 1, Andrew, of Italian descent, 192 cm tall, 24 years old; No. 2, Brian, Argentine, 187 cm tall, former national football team player, 23 years old.”

As each one was introduced, Secretary Gao would gesture, and the male models—oh no, pilots—would nod and smile at Yang Yunran.

Doudou’s legs went weak from smiling.

Secretary Gao continued, “No. 3 is Evan, of French descent, height…”

“Stop.” Yang Yunran couldn’t hold back anymore upon hearing this, and his face turned red with embarrassment. “Secretary Gao, thank you for your and my father’s kindness, but you don’t need to introduce them to me in such detail. I don’t need it.”

Secretary Gao put away the tablet and nodded, “Of course, Master Yun,” then instructed the young pilots to attend to their own tasks. These pilots, being young, mostly lacked the ability to fly solo. They were highly paid and specially hired to serve Yang Yunran in becoming full-fledged private jet captains.

Except for a brief disconnection during takeoff, Yang Yunran could access the internet once the plane was airborne.

Doudou unbuckled her seatbelt and approached. “Ran Ge, I just took some photos. Can I post them?”

“I think so. Secretary Gao, can she take photos?” Yang Yunran asked on her behalf.

With a laptop on his lap, Secretary Gao nodded, “Certainly, it’s a family plane, feel free.”

Doudou became even more excited. “Can I take photos of the interior and people too?”

Secretary Gao continued smiling, “Everything is fine.”

He was reporting to the chairman, “Master Yun has a stable relationship with his boyfriend and doesn’t seem to show any particular preferences for other men. But judging by his gaze, he seems to prefer Chinese men with black hair and eyes.”

Shortly after takeoff, Yang Yunran told Xu Xing not to arrange such activities for him in the future and went into the bedroom. He had been a big star before and knew many social celebrities and superstars, but he had never experienced this kind of luxurious business jet, or maybe he had heard of it but never flown in one.

Yang Yunran lay on the bed in the luxurious bedroom suite, looking at the sunset outside the porthole.

“Take a photo and tell Jiang Yi, who hasn’t gotten up yet: ‘We’ll be there soon on the plane.'”

“Ran Ge.” Doudou, who had finished filming Vlog material, knocked on the door, unable to contain her excitement. “Are you asleep?”

“Not yet.” Yang Yunran hadn’t washed up yet. He got up, opened the door, and Doudou said, “We have a livestream tonight Beijing time. I have your mask and microphone with me. I guess we’ll still be in flight. I don’t know if the network will be stable?”

“I don’t know either. Ask Secretary Gao,” Yang Yunran said.

“If the network is stable, we’ll livestream as usual. When it’s almost time, I’ll come knock on your door to wake you up.”

Yang Yunran nodded, then went to wash up. As the night fell, after chatting with Yang Wanyu via video for a few minutes, he put on an eye mask and went to sleep.

It was Doudou’s first time on a private jet from a wealthy family, let alone this type. She wasn’t sleepy at all!

She paced around and filmed many videos. She asked Secretary Gao, “Can I post on my Moments?”

Secretary Gao nodded, “Yes, Miss Doudou.”

“You’re too kind!” Doudou edited a caption and posted it.

In her post, she placed the male model with an average height of 190 cm at the end. The preceding eight photos included panoramic views of the blue-eyed Samoyed graffiti and Roy’s English name graffiti at the terminal, as well as the boarding ladder, luxurious interior, bed, and bathroom, plus a dinner photo, a porthole photo, and a photo with a 30-year-old British handsome pilot.

Not even a minute after posting, colleagues came to ask her, “Is Doudou becoming famous?”

“Are you shooting a movie? What a setup!”

“Where’s Doudou now?”

Doudou asked Secretary Gao again, “My colleagues are asking me, can I say it’s for Ran Ge? Will it leak any privacy?”

Secretary Gao shook his head patiently and said, “It’s okay. You can say whatever you want.”

Doudou happily returned to her seat and replied, “Just riding on my artist’s fame! I’m just basking in the glow.”

“Which artist? Is this a private jet, the Samoyed’s return flight? Is this Samoyed named Roy? Is it the Queen of England’s dog? So majestic!”

“My family’s Ran Ge’s plane,” Doudou replied, “Roy is his English name!!!”

It wasn’t a secret that Yang Yunran had a Samoyed. He had shown it off before. Such dogs were quite common among celebrity pets, but colleagues knew Doudou was simultaneously assisting two artists, one being Yang Yunran and the other Haliyeh.

In the company’s small group chat late at night, a group of employees were lamenting their overtime.

Someone mentioned Doudou, “Haven’t seen Doudou in a long time. Heard she’s been forced to work overtime for half a month, flying overseas for more than ten hours in economy class to accompany an artist? Must be exhausting.”

A more senior employee who worked with a top star’s assistant said, “She’s with Yang Yunran, right? It’s all over the internet, his family’s wealth is fake! He’s not really a second-generation rich! I ran into him at the company last time, and he looked so low-class. What rich person dresses like that? He hasn’t even landed a single endorsement. Unlike my artist, who upgrades my seat every time we travel and treats me so well. Doudou is such a poor and unambitious artist, it’s hard on her. I feel for her.”

Just saw a colleague’s WeChat Moments post about Doudou: “??? How is she suffering?”

Another colleague replied, “Isn’t she suffering? It’s so pitiful. The company hasn’t assigned any work to Yang Yunran at all. They’re basically trying to sideline him. With so much public opinion against him, even his rich guy image has collapsed. Doudou is really in a tough spot!”

“Uh, just saw Doudou’s friend circle post. The artist took her back to China on a luxury private jet.” Doudou’s Moments post was shared with some work groups. Those who pitied Doudou fell silent, especially those who had boasted about how well their artists treated them, upgrading their seats. Everyone was stunned by the photos: “Oh my God, when will a super-rich second-generation artist take me along? I want to ride too!! Doudou is living the dream!”

“How come Yang Yunran hasn’t come out to clarify these fake rich kid rumors? People are calling him ‘low.'”

“Is it possible that since he’s the young master, he’s keeping a low profile and doesn’t need to clarify such trivial matters?”

“So jealous, this plane even has a dozen tall male models as flight attendants?? They’re so handsome, I’m drooling. Can’t imagine how happy Doudou must be now!”

“Is Yang Yunran gay? LOL, he really knows how to play.”

Zhou Kai, waiting for his wife to give birth in the hospital, glanced at the group chat and couldn’t help but feel sour after seeing the photos. Over the years, he had accompanied many top wealthy artists, but he had never seen anything like this, except for those capitalists.

Yang Liming is really rich. He’s so good to his son. Probably to clear up the unfounded negative news about Yang Yunran, he arranged such conspicuous aircraft markings.

Zhou Kai knew Yang Yunran was in Toronto visiting family, so he searched online and found videos from netizens with Canadian IPs showing various angles of this plane.

“Who is Yang Yunran? I don’t know him. Is he a businessman? I just saw this cute colored business jet at the airport!”

Netizen: “The last time I saw such a cute plane paint job, it was Sichuan Airlines’ giant panda!”

“Isn’t Yang Yunran that former star who retired? This plane has his name painted on it. His English name is Roy, it’s in the encyclopedia.”

“The real protagonist of the fake rich kid story is named Yang Yunran. I wonder if they’re talking about the same person?”

“Asked a professional, they said this model of aircraft costs around 480 million RMB… Haha, I laughed at myself for being poor!”

“What’s the deal with Zhao Youmo? Does anyone know? Wasn’t it rumored online that Yang Yunran is the child of Zhao Youmo’s maid, using a real young master’s private jet to show off and it backfired? Now there’s an even bigger one! Fake, right? It’s Yang’s PR strategy??”

Zhou Kai remembered that Yang Yunran had come to see him a few days ago.

He said, “I want to spend money deleting all the negative discussions about me online. How much would that cost, and how quickly can it be done?”

A while ago, Yang Yunran didn’t care about these public opinions at all, indifferently saying it had nothing to do with him. Who knew he would suddenly care, wanting to spend money to clean it up.

Recently, the PR department of the company has been busy with this. A lot has been deleted, and the remnants have been sealed off.

Yang Yunran didn’t want Yang Wanyu to see negative comments when she searched his name. He wanted his mom to feel proud and happy about him, not distressed and surprised.

The plane was about to land.

After Yang Yunran woke up, he talked to his boyfriend on the phone for a while and then went live.

This time, he was on a live stream with a notorious talk show host, rumored to be the nephew of a station manager. Yang Yunran didn’t have professional lighting equipment on the plane and sat in a discreet corner under the overhead light.

Midway through, the plane suddenly jolted, and the calm, sexy voice of the pilot came over the intercom in English.

Secretary Gao, afraid Yang Yunran wouldn’t understand, repeated it in Chinese: “Ding—Master, the aircraft has encountered turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelt immediately and refrain from moving.”

Yang Yunran obediently fastened his seatbelt.

Netizen: “??? What’s happening?”

Netizen: “Is this staged?”

“He’s on a plane, so where’s the internet coming from?”

“My flights never announce like this?”

Yang Yunran continued the live stream as if nothing had happened: “Uh, what were we just talking about? My first album? It’s in preparation and I believe it will be out in the second half of the year.”

Yang Yunran ignored questions from netizens about his whereabouts and the plane’s announcements. After ending the call, Secretary Gao knocked on the door, standing outside with an elite aura: “Master, we will land at 9 PM Beijing time. The temperature outside is 36 degrees Celsius, and there’s heavy smog. It’s not recommended to drive yourself. Will someone come to pick you up? I can arrange a car to take you there. Mr. Xu has several sets of houses ready for you. Should we clean up your boyfriend and bring him along?”

“Uh… no need.”

Yang Yunran grew up poor. After earning money, he enjoyed a few good years, but he had never dreamed of such a capitalist lifestyle.

Yang Yunran politely declined Secretary Gao’s arrangements. He didn’t want Jiang Yi to suddenly feel uncomfortable or out of place. After all, even he thought it all came too suddenly. He never expected his biological father to have such an ostentatious operation.

Yang Yunran: “I have to hang up… We’re descending, nearing the tower now. I can’t make calls, it will interfere with the signal. I’ll call you later. See you when I land.”

Jiang Yi: “Okay, I’m at T2 parking lot, waiting for you at the arrival gate.”

Yang Yunran: “Remember to wear a mask and sunglasses. What are you wearing?”

Jiang Yi: “Black, the one you bought for me.”

Jiang Yi sent him a photo, a subtle selfie taken in dim car lighting. The clothes were loose-fitting, and round-necked, revealing Jiang Yi’s Adam’s apple and collarbone.

Yang Yunran had bought him quite a few clothes, mainly because he couldn’t stand seeing Jiang Yi always wearing washed-out old cotton shirts and T-shirts. There were several that he particularly liked wearing, or the ones he got from volunteering activities…

Even his marathon clothes from university…

The plane landed, and Yang Yunran didn’t make a call but sent a message: “I’m using the special exit, no need to wait for me at the arrival gate, just wait for me at Gate 2.”

To keep a low profile, Yang Yunran only brought Doudou, not allowing Secretary Gao to accompany him. During taxiing, the plane’s distinctive color and design attracted the attention of onlookers in the terminal: “Isn’t this Samoyed charter plane adorable?! The airline is called Roy?”

On the plane, the handsome crew members enthusiastically bid farewell to Yang Yunran, blowing kisses. Yang Yunran blushed slightly but chose not to look at them, instead focusing on his boyfriend on his phone’s lock screen.

Only Doudou was delighted and foolishly taking photos.

Seeing Doudou not moving, Yang Yunran stopped and asked, “Are you staying overnight with them?”

Doudou was shocked, “Can I do that?”

Secretary Gao and Yang Yunran both spoke up at the same time:

Secretary Gao said, “You can ask; they are very open-minded.”

Yang Yunran said, “Of course not! Let’s go.”

Not having seen Jiang Yi for ten days, Yang Yunran truly missed him, quickening his pace.

“You can go home for a visit. I have someone coming to pick me up, and we’ll split up later,” Yang Yunran told Doudou, following airport staff through the VIP passage.

He had walked this route many times before and was familiar with it.

Shortly after he disembarked, the crew members also got off the plane with their suitcases. It was their first time in Beijing, and they imagined the grandeur of the Great Wall through the haze that obscured the buildings.

Perhaps due to his racial advantage and longer legs, Yang Yunran collided with this group of fast-walking pilots at the exit.

People around them were turning back and taking pictures.

“So handsome!! What are these male models doing, is it Fashion Week?”

From Caucasians to brown-skinned, black, and yellow-skinned handsome men, passersby stopped and displayed the same expression as Doudou.

Yang Yunran lowered his hat over his face, intending to avoid them.

But obviously, these handsome men didn’t know that Yang Yunran was a celebrity. They approached him warmly and surrounded him: “Roy~ nice to see you again. Are you staying at the same hotel tonight?”

“The bus is here. Will you come with us?”

“Roy, you have my number. Remember to contact me when you’re free.”

Yang Yunran spotted Jiang Yi who had come to pick him up. Jiang Yi stood on the outskirts of the noisy crowd, tall and with long legs. Yang Yunran quickly said, “No! I’m leaving first! Bye!”

“Doudou, you can take a taxi by yourself!” After saying this, Yang Yunran ran towards Jiang Yi while calling him, “There are too many people. We’ll talk in the car.”

The two walked one after another.

Jiang Yi turned around, his expression cold, “Who are those people?”

Yang Yunran racked his brain, “… They’re from the same flight, first time meeting, I don’t know them.”

Jiang Yi asked, “Did you give your contact information to others?”

Yang Yunran replied, “… No, I didn’t.” Others had given him their phone numbers out of politeness, but he had already lost them.

Following Jiang Yi to the parking lot and ruling out the possibility of paparazzi nearby, after getting into the car, Jiang Yi handed him water and didn’t start the car immediately, asking, “Are you tired?”

“I slept on the plane…” Yang Yunran wasn’t actually tired but said, “I’m so tired.” In the relatively cramped cabin, Yang Yunran closed his eyes and hugged Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi had broken out in a sweat, emitting a warm, slightly hot scent, with the carotid artery on his neck pulsing warmly.

Jiang Yi’s hand slid to his lower back, caressing the smooth skin like satin, his voice low and deep: “Explain again, what’s the deal with those dozen guys? Why were they surrounding you and blowing kisses?”