Chapter 1, First Encounter 1

"Attention passengers flying to Jiangcheng, the plane will be landing in fifteen minutes. Please turn off your electronic devices..."

The sweet voice of the flight attendant finally woke Jian Xi from her sleep.

She opened her eyes and looked at her wristwatch, it was 4:10 in the afternoon.

The flight had been delayed by a full hour.

Hah, she wondered whether those guys coming to pick her up were fuming with rage by now.

They didn't want to pick up the heiress, but they couldn't not pick her up!

Because tomorrow was her engagement ceremony.

The news of Jian Corporation's matrimonial alliance with the military and political Nan's had been hyped in Jiangcheng for over a month, sending stocks soaring.

Even if they didn't like her, they had to suck up to her—after all, she had gone from being an orphan abroad to the Cash Cow!

With that thought, the smile at the corner of her lips became more ironic.

"Whoosh—"

A soft sound, and the person sitting next to her opened the window shade, with the sudden sunlight being somewhat dazzling. Jian Xi squinted her eyes and turned to look at the person.

He was engrossed in a newspaper. Under the backlight, his profile was chiseled and angular, exuding a sharp, manly air. Very masculine!

But that hairstyle...

Jian Xi slightly raised her eyebrows and shifted her gaze to the man's head.

Tsk tsk, who else besides military folks would favor a buzz cut these days?

You know, that hairstyle isn't easy to pull off; it could look terribly outdated if not done well.

However, it suited him.

At that moment, the man suddenly turned his head. Their eyes collided, and the air seemed to heat up a bit.

"Had enough of staring?" His low voice was tinged with weariness but was unexpectedly pleasant to the ear. His deep gaze was like a dark, impenetrable pool, with no visible bottom.

"Yep, I've had my fill,"

Jian Xi amiably retracted her gaze and silently dubbed him in her mind: Buzz Cut Man.

Man: "..."

This woman seemed to disregard the anger in him! She answered so... casually!

Did she really think he was asking a question? That was an exclamation! The hidden-anger kind!

"Miss, do you still need your blanket?"

Just then, a flight attendant came over to ask.

"No need for it anymore, thank you!"

Jian Xi returned the thin blanket that had been covering her and continued to rest against the seat, closing her eyes for a nap.

Tired...

She really wanted to sleep their troubles away!

The anger emanating from the man subsided slowly and finally settled into calm. He observed Jian Xi.

A white shirt, jeans, sneakers, a backpack... slightly worn and forlorn. But her skin was very fair, delicate to the touch.

She seemed to be just a high school student, around seventeen or eighteen, but her beautiful face conveyed a distant, cold detachment, with sharpness in the arch of her brows, an odd match to her age.

A peculiar combination.

1, 2, 3...

"Had enough of staring?"

After silently counting to three in her mind, Jian Xi opened her eyes and coolly looked back at Buzz Cut Man.

Hmph, he wouldn't let her look just now, and now he's the one staring, shameless!

"Yeah, enough. We're even," Buzz Cut Man turned his head away to look at the blue skies and white clouds outside the window.

Jian Xi was exasperated. She muttered to herself: What a petty man, playing word games with a woman, with no sense of chivalry.

"Dear passengers, please take note: the aircraft is about to land. There might be some turbulence during descent, please fasten your seat belts..."

Before the flight attendant could finish the announcement, the aircraft began to shake violently.

This was not a normal descent!

Jian Xi and the man both opened their eyes wide in alarm, their pores standing on edge.

Trouble!

The excessive tilt caused people to panic and start yelling, "Ah, what's happening?"

"Is there a malfunction with the plane..."

"Are we going to die!"

Passengers started to cry out in terror inside the cabin.

"Please stay calm and fasten your seat belts..."

"Screw the seat belts! Open the doors, I want out!" one of the male passengers jumped up, shouting excitedly.

People were already on edge, and his outburst caused others to become restless and join in the chaos.

"Isn't there an emergency escape route? Open it and let us out!"

The flight attendants were no longer able to calm the frantic passengers.

Jian Xi pursed her lips, stood up in the middle of the aisle, and yelled at the panicking crowd in the cabin, "Sit down! No screaming allowed!"

The petite woman was surprisingly commanding.

There was a second of silence in the cabin, then an even louder commotion ensued.

"Who are you to tell us not to scream? If the plane goes down, we're dead!"

"Woo, I need to write a last letter to my family..."

Jian Xi's icy gaze swept over the frantic people. Finally, she locked onto one person.

Just as she was about to take action, Buzz Cut Man stood up, bypassing her and striding towards the cockpit.

"Sir, you can't move around..." The flight attendant was startled and spread her arms to block him.

"I'm Nan Mufeng."

Nan Mufeng flashed an ID, and the flight attendant instantly fell silent and made way.

Jian Xi looked back in astonishment, only to see the tall figure of Nan Mufeng disappearing behind the door.

Nan Mufeng? It was actually him!

Her fiancé, whom she had never met!