Zheng Yuanshi had gone to the company in the morning and then directly to the airport, where they had agreed to meet in the departure hall and line up for boarding together.

She remained quiet the whole way, not daring to say a word, afraid that if she spoke, she would reveal the truth and let everyone know that she was not Du Qingshuo, but a complete imposter!

“What’s wrong with you?” Zheng Yuanshi asked, noticing the serious and confused expression on the face of the woman next to him after he sat down. “Are you feeling unwell from the hangover? You haven’t said much.”

That’s right, the hangover!

Jian Shuning’s eyes lit up. Why hadn’t she thought of using that as an excuse?

She quickly raised her hand to her forehead, pretending to be weak, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and spoke in a soft, high-pitched voice, “I might have drunk too much last night, I have a bit of a… headache.”

“What’s wrong with your voice?” Zheng Yuanshi asked in surprise. “Why does it sound so high-pitched?”

Jian Shuning froze. Oh no! She had overdone it.

She quickly coughed twice and cleared her throat. “Um, my throat isn’t feeling great.”

Just then, a flight attendant passed by, and Zheng Yuanshi ordered a cup of hot lemon tea with salt for her. “Drink this, it will help with the hangover.”

Jian Shuning took the cup in a daze and took a sip. The salty and slightly sour taste spread through her throat, warming her stomach.

It felt so good!

She couldn’t help but take a few more sips, and as she drank, she silently complained in her heart—

Brother is so gentle and considerate to other women! If he knew she had a hangover, he would surely scold her mercilessly!

“You drank so much, I bet Shuning is feeling just as bad, probably still rolling around in bed moaning about her headache!”

As expected, her brother had nothing good to say about her.

Jian Shuning pouted and gave Zheng Yuanshi a coquettish glance.

This glance was full of charm, and Zheng Yuanshi looked at her, somewhat stunned.

Jian Shuning finished the tea and handed the empty cup to the flight attendant. By this time, the plane had made a big turn and was on the runway, starting its takeoff run.

She couldn’t help but feel tense.

She was actually very afraid of flying. She had a bit of a fear of heights, and looking down from high places made her feel dizzy. Not to mention flying, just imagining herself in the sky at tens of thousands of feet made her heart feel empty and unsettled.

Therefore, every time the plane took off, landed, or encountered turbulence in the air, she was extremely nervous, involuntarily entering a state of full alert.

The plane accelerated on the runway, and she gripped the armrests tightly with both hands.

The nose of the plane lifted, and she felt her heart was about to fly away too. Then came the sound of the landing gear retracting.

The sound, though monotonous, felt like a warning, heavily pounding in her heart.

She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly.

Zheng Yuanshi looked at her somewhat tense expression in surprise.

This tense and nervous look reminded him of another woman who also became uneasy when flying or riding a Ferris wheel, as long as she was at a high altitude…

“Are you also afraid of flying?” he asked softly.

Jian Shuning didn’t hear him.

“Qingshuo, are you okay?”

She still didn’t respond.

“Qingshuo!”

Was he calling her?

Jian Shuning suddenly came to her senses, remembering that she was now Du Qingshuo, and Qingshuo often flew for business trips, so she definitely wouldn’t react like this.

She had to stay calm.

Thinking about it, Jian Shuning forced herself to let go of the armrests and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. But before she could catch her breath, the plane suddenly jolted up and down. The pilot seemed to descend and then ascend again, turning the plane in a different direction.

She couldn’t help but let out a small cry, her hand instinctively grabbing for the armrest but unexpectedly catching a large, strong hand instead.

Zheng Yuanshi was startled when his hand was grasped.

He wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly, but he thought he heard a faint, kitten-like cry of “brother” from beside him.

But how could Du Qingshuo call him brother?

His heart pounded heavily as he turned to look at Du Qingshuo, seeing her face pale.

In his palm, her soft, boneless hand felt smooth and delicate.

He felt his throat go dry. “It’s okay, takeoffs are always like this. The plane is stable now. Open your eyes and feel it.”

Brother’s voice was so gentle.

Jian Shuning lifted her eyelids, timidly meeting Zheng Yuanshi’s concerned gaze. In that moment, her eyes were filled with tears, incredibly soft and vulnerable.

She could actually have such an expression?

Zheng Yuanshi was stunned.

In his memory, Du Qingshuo was always intelligent and capable, confident in herself, with a clear and elegant smile.

This look of a frightened little rabbit, shy and timid, silently seeking comfort…

It didn’t seem like her.

Even though it didn’t seem like her, it made his heart inexplicably soften, wanting to comfort her…

He smiled faintly. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid.”

Jian Shuning gazed at his smiling eyes, unconsciously nodding, her demeanor soft and compliant.

With her brother by her side, she knew she didn’t have to be afraid.

She trembled as she parted her lips, almost habitually calling him brother, but fortunately, she caught herself in time and swallowed the words. Seeing her hesitate, he raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? What do you want to say?”

“I want to say…” What would Du Qingshuo say at a time like this? The elegant and calm Du Qingshuo wouldn’t just foolishly say thank you… “Just now, I must have looked silly. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I fly all the time, but I still got inexplicably nervous!”

Even though it was self-deprecating, it was a composed self-deprecation.

She had returned to her original self.

Zheng Yuanshi didn’t know what to make of it, but he just smiled more deeply. “I feel like you’re blaming me, the boss, for this.”

Jian Shuning was taken aback and then smiled after a moment. “Exactly! Who makes me fly all the time for business trips?”

“It’s my fault. This time in Japan, whatever you want to eat, I’ll treat you.”

“Isn’t it the boss’s duty to treat? How can that be considered compensation?”

“Then how about I buy you a gift?”

“You said it yourself! A gentleman’s word is his bond. Don’t complain about the price later.”

“Haha.” Zheng Yuanshi laughed heartily.

Jian Shuning secretly sighed in relief.

The atmosphere was so harmonious, and her brother was laughing so openly, which should mean that her portrayal of Du Qingshuo was largely accurate.

But why did she still feel uncomfortable?

It was as if seeing her brother so happy with another woman didn’t make her happy, even if that woman’s body actually contained her own soul…