Chapter 52

The airplane silently passes through the stratosphere, and outside the window, cumulus clouds look like mountains.

The flight attendants have just started serving meals. Inside the wide and long economy class cabin, the murmur of passengers talking fills the air. This is a flight to Ningshi, with a two-hour stopover in Hong Kong. The flight is about 70-80% full, with a mix of Cantonese, English, and Mandarin being spoken, and occasional cries from children being gently scolded by their parents.

Xiang Feiran has his eyes closed, and the noise-canceling earphones in his ears block out all external sounds. Next to him is a middle-aged man in a blue suit, the typical attire for business travel.

Just as Xiang Feiran was briefly scanning the in-flight magazine, a figure stopped in the aisle. The middle-aged man lifted his gaze from the advertisement and, upon seeing the face in front of him, his eyes lit up slightly.

“Hello.”

“Is there something you need?” His words were polite, with a hint of surprise and delight in his smile.

“I’m from first class, and this is my ticket. Could we switch for five hours?”

“…”

The other person continued persuasively, “You could use my meals and drinks, and get a very comfortable sleep.”

The sound of the seatbelt being unfastened and the person getting up was noticeable, but Xiang Feiran, who had stayed up all night working on his thesis, was too tired to open his eyes. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, he would still want to sleep.

After a couple of seconds, the sound of the seatbelt being fastened again was heard.

The difference between a middle-aged man and a woman in terms of body sensation was quite significant. The initially somewhat cramped space felt much more spacious, and the scent of perfume changed—

Xiang Feiran opened his eyes to see Shang Mingbao quietly pulling out an eye mask from her bag.

“Did I wake you up?” Shang Mingbao, not daring to move, asked pitifully, “Please don’t chase me away.”

She was on the same flight back, and originally wanted Sophie to book two first-class tickets. However, Xiang Feiran was on a research trip with reimbursable expenses—only economy class was covered, reimbursed at actual cost.

Given the nearly twenty hours of flight time, Shang Mingbao thought she might as well sit in economy class. However, both Sophie and Xiang Feiran firmly opposed this plan.

Normally, Shang Mingbao would fly on a private jet for such a long trip. Taking first class was already a compromise. Hearing that she wanted to sit in economy, Sophie had to support her forehead and seriously said, “You can’t handle this.”

But Sophie wasn’t concerned with what happened after boarding. Once on board, Shang Mingbao removed her makeup, applied a face mask, changed into comfortable slippers, and stealthily made her way.

“Economy class is so lively,” she commented.

Xiang Feiran: “…”

He handed her a bottle of water. “Aren’t you bothered by the smell?”

Shang Mingbao moved closer, hugged his arm, and buried her face in his shoulder, sniffing, then shook her head.

He was wearing a soft, oversized sweatshirt today instead of his usual windbreaker, and it had a faint, pleasant scent that filled her nose.

Xiang Feiran’s heartbeat and breathing were steady. After a moment of silence, he gently touched Shang Mingbao’s eyes. “Honestly, I’m reluctant to let you go.”

“I can handle it,” Shang Mingbao said seriously.

Xiang Feiran’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and he smiled. “I meant I’m reluctant to let you go back.”

Though they had agreed to switch seats for just five hours, when the five hours were up, Shang Mingbao did not return, and neither did the middle-aged man who had swapped seats with her.

She felt uncomfortable, clearly sensing the varicose veins on her calves, so she remained half-asleep. But thinking of Xiang Feiran’s shoulder as her pillow made her unwilling to move, and she sat upright.

Her small shoulders provided him with a stable sleep, and thinking about this made Shang Mingbao feel a sense of purpose and mission.

As they crossed the twilight line, the golden light of dusk pierced through the clouds, and the sky’s gradient of pink, orange, and blue made everyone raise their cameras to take pictures. Only she turned her face away and carefully watched Xiang Feiran’s side profile illuminated by the golden light.

His eyelashes were long and dense. Shang Mingbao wanted to gently touch them with her fingertips. She also wanted to point at his slightly upturned nose or his naturally pursed lips.

How can someone sleep so quietly? Shang Mingbao wondered and bent her fingers to check if there was breath coming from him. He was still alive.

After nightfall, the cabin lights were dimmed, with only a few reading lights on. Xiang Feiran briefly woke up. In the faint, dim light, he gazed for a moment, pulled Shang Mingbao closer, and kissed her ear through her hair.

In the latter part of the flight, Shang Mingbao slept with her head resting on his chest. He replayed her earlier emotional journey in his mind. What Shang Mingbao couldn’t bring herself to do, he did—he held her chin and kissed her lips for a while. Shang Mingbao woke up from the kiss, murmuring in a daze, “Hmm…?” He pressed her back into his embrace, saying, “Just a dream.”

Bored after finishing the documents on his phone, Xiang Feiran opened his Kindle and started reading a book on botany recommended by someone. After ten pages, he found it nonsense.

After transferring in Hong Kong, they arrived in Ningshi late that night.

Xiang Feiran’s destination was Yunnan, but he needed to return home to prepare for fieldwork and visit Xiang Lianqiao.

Shang Mingbao had booked a hotel at the foot of the mountain, and Xiang Feiran took a taxi to drop her off. Shang Mingbao had never paid attention to the distance before, but today, seeing the meter read over 260, she was shocked!

After getting out of the car and retrieving her luggage from the trunk, Xiang Feiran turned around to see Shang Mingbao seriously calculating the fare. He laughed, “What are you doing?”

“How much is the subway?”

“Nine dollars.”

“What?!” Shang Mingbao gasped, covering her face in shock, “I should have taken the subway!”

Xiang Feiran sighed and felt the need to correct her misunderstanding, “I can afford the taxi.”

The concierge, who had silently overheard, glanced at the nameplate on his chest… If he remembered correctly, their room rate was around 3,000 per night.

The room was booked by Sophie, and after checking in, Xiang Feiran accompanied Shang Mingbao upstairs.

The suite had two beds, a clear indication of Sophie’s intention. But Xiang Feiran didn’t go in; he bade Shang Mingbao goodbye at the door, “Get some rest, see you tomorrow afternoon.”

They had tickets for a flight to Kunming the next evening, and then a high-speed train to the county. If it were a different project, Xiang Feiran wouldn’t have brought Shang Mingbao, but since this investigation was for his own research, it was fine to have her along with him and a guide.

Shang Mingbao clung to his hand, gazing at him longingly, “Can’t you stay for another five minutes?”

Looking at his watch, “It’s only 9:30.”

“Three minutes,” she lowered her request, showing her understanding and sweetness.

Xiang Feiran smiled, “Ten minutes? Time isn’t so tight.”

He set a ten-minute timer. As the door closed, Shang Mingbao leaned into his embrace, tiptoeing for a kiss.

On the plane, they had also shared a few kisses in the dimmed cabin amidst the storm over the dark Pacific. But with others around, they had been restrained, only touching briefly. This restraint now intensified in the privacy of the suite—Xiang Feiran leaned in to kiss her passionately as they stumbled into the bedroom.

He turned off the lights precisely, leaving the room in complete darkness. Shang Mingbao was pressed onto the bed with her hands held down, her soft body against the crisp white sheets.

It was hot in Ningshi in March, warm enough for short sleeves. Xiang Feiran, still used to New York, deftly undid a row of buttons on her shirt, expecting there to be an extra layer underneath.

To his surprise, there was nothing beneath the lightweight summer double-breasted suit.

Shang Mingbao blushed and explained, “The flight was too long… I couldn’t handle it.”

She was wearing this suit over a deep blue pleated skirt and a very sheer black stocking. The stockings had already become damp from his possessive kisses.

Xiang Feiran sighed deeply, gathering her gray suit, “No more kissing.”

“Okay,” Shang Mingbao responded obediently.

Xiang Feiran fastened the buttons he had undone, lifted himself, and looked down at Shang Mingbao’s face for a moment, asking, “Do you want more?”

Shang Mingbao’s hand touched his arm, tracing the veins, and she whispered, “Just half a minute more.”

When the alarm rang, her gaze was already dazed from the kisses, and she breathlessly said, “It’s broken.”

Swallowing, “The alarm is broken.”

“Did you only set it for five minutes?”

Xiang Feiran, joining her in the reversed reality, pressed the right-side button, making a noise, and kissed her again with a disordered breath.

When the alarm rang the second time, Xiang Feiran, feeling something was wrong, forced himself to take deep breaths. He kissed the corner of Shang Mingbao’s lips and said, “I have to go, Grandpa is still waiting for me.”

Shang Mingbao rested her head on his arm and asked, “Will Grandpa remember me?”

“He will. He has a good memory, and you are unforgettable.”

He stated it plainly, regardless of the listener’s feelings.

Shang Mingbao’s heart skipped a beat, and she asked, “Have you never forgotten me either?”

Xiang Feiran, as if hearing a cold joke, chuckled softly after a moment and stroked her face, “I will never forget.”

After saying this, he got out of bed, turned off the alarm that was about to ring for the third time, and turned on the lights.

Shang Mingbao escorted him to the door, watching him sling the large hiking bag over his shoulder and embrace her briefly, “Good night.”

As he was leaving, Shang Mingbao impulsively grabbed his hand, “If—”

She looked at Xiang Feiran: “If I go to see Grandpa, will he be happy?”

Xiang Feiran nodded briefly, his gaze and steps hurried: “He will.”

The hurried gaze paused, then returned to her face, saying nothing.

Shang Mingbao looked into his eyes and suddenly felt guilty and embarrassed after two seconds: “Sorry, I overstepped.”

Xiang Feiran embraced her again, his left arm gently cradling her head: “There’s no such thing as overstepping. How could you overstep? It’s just…”

He couldn’t think of what exactly.

“Just that if we break up, Grandpa will ask?” Shang Mingbao tentatively said, “Then it would be one more thing to explain.”

Xiang Feiran’s disordered thoughts stopped, and he looked at her with a complex expression.

It seemed she had become more at ease with the inevitable breakup than he was.

After a moment, Xiang Feiran smiled at her words: “You’re right, it’s like that.”

Shang Mingbao felt a pang of discomfort inside but didn’t show it, afraid that Xiang Feiran would see through her and feel awkward. She gently pulled her hand back from his: “You should go, the car must be here.”

But her hand remained still, not moving. She tried to pull it back again, still unable to, as Xiang Feiran held on, not using much force but not letting go.

Shang Mingbao looked at him in confusion, and his gaze made her momentarily stunned.

“Come back with me.”

Shang Mingbao’s voice was delicate and trembling: “Hmm?”

It sounded almost unbelievable, as if she couldn’t believe it.

Xiang Feiran repeated: “Come back with me.”

His thoughts were still chaotic, and he hadn’t sorted them out. But he was certain that this was what he wanted to do tonight.

Shang Mingbao’s lips involuntarily curved up: “Just say that we met on the plane and then came to see him. Do you think he’ll believe it?”

Xiang Feiran smiled. His gaze was gentle: “Maybe.”

She didn’t bring a suitcase, only a backpack with necessary change of clothes and toiletries. When closing the door, she was excited and clever: “If Grandpa asks about my luggage, I’ll say I booked a hotel, but Grandpa will surely say it’s too late to be running around, so I can stay over. That way, he won’t think there’s anything suspicious, right?”

She spoke quickly, holding his hand and hopping along.

The drive from the hotel to Xiang’s house would take nearly an hour. Shang Mingbao couldn’t tell the distance, only that the mountains were dark, and the dense vegetation was lit up white. Unable to gauge the distance, she always suspected they had arrived, so her heart was constantly in suspense, jumping faster and faster, rehearsing how to greet Xiang Lianqiao for the first time and how to pretend not to know Xiang Feiran well.

Her body, tired from a twenty-hour flight, couldn’t maintain such tension, and halfway through the drive, she fell asleep on Xiang Feiran’s shoulder.

In her dream, she heard a rumbling sound, like a train passing through tracks.

That was Xiang Feiran’s heartbeat.

He kept holding Shang Mingbao’s hand, his palm warm, with an uncontrollable sense of urgency. In his genius-like mind, he couldn’t think of a more elaborate and meticulous deceit than Shang Mingbao’s.

Was he going mad?

How could he let himself fall deeper and deeper into such actions?

When he woke suddenly, Xiang Feiran opened his eyes—

But it was too late; the car had arrived downstairs.