Certainly Not a Coincidence

Li Min stormed into Qian Meng's office at six in the evening. "You have a flight and you need to pack," she reminded her.

Qian Meng looked up from her file and wanted to throw a fit. "Shit. I forgot. I just have this file left. It should take me half an hour. Can you drive me back?"

Li Min nodded and didn't protest. Qian Meng focused on her file as she stepped into the elevator. The employees that flocked in at the same time, getting off work at their designated time looked at their boss and wondered if the sun had risen from the West.

She ignored them effectively and stepped into the car. Li Min drove her to the hotel and was about to leave when Yun Qian Meng stopped her.

"Stay here," she ordered. She ran up to her room and returned with her wallet in hand. "Your hundred yuan," she commented, handing the money to Li Min. "Didn't want you to ask for interest."

Li Min's face dropped. Miss Yun knew her well. Li Min was not one to let go of interest. She would really have asked her boss for a standard interest on the hundred yuan.

"Your interest rate must be higher than loan sharks, so I took precautions," Qian Meng smirked. "Also, you have the week off. Don't come to work. Book a flight to wherever you want to go and rest. Send me the invoice, I'll ask the accounts team to write it off as a business expense."

"Boss," she muttered, flabbergasted.

"I already told you about this. Don't act surprised. It's not like I'm an evil boss." Qian Meng turned around, waving her hand in goodbye and rushing to her room.

Li Min pulled out her phone and forgot all about the potential tears in her eyes. She scrolled through her mood boards and selected a location. First-class tickets to the destination, spas, and the best rooms, she booked all of them. All of this happened within the span of ten minutes.

She was still sitting in front of the hotel as she did this.

She unabashedly sent the invoice to Qian Meng and thanked her in advance.

Yun Qian Meng came out of the shower and peered at her phone. She squinted at the prices and then huffed.

Well, she had promised. She couldn't say anything.

Time to pack.

- - - - -

The best thing about red-eye flights? They were cheap. The worst thing? Yun Qian Meng felt like she would die. She had booked the middle seat, which meant that someone would be sitting beside her throughout the flight.

The flight would take twelve hours and forty minutes, which meant she would have to spend thirteen hours with a stranger. Thankfully, people in first-class never speak to one another. It was three in the morning... which meant the flight would land at nine in the morning in Paris.

She shrugged and put on her eye mask. Until the plane took off, she could take a short nap. Afterward, she would make the bed and just go to sleep. She was mulling things over when someone sat on the other side of her. She pulled up the corner of her mask and pressed the button to raise the separator.

It had been a couple of minutes before someone tapped her on the shoulder. She suppressed the sigh and removed the mask. The friendly face of the stewardess greeted her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Could you pull down the separating screen? According to the protocol, all screens are supposed to remain down until completion of take-off." Qian Meng cursed her luck but followed diligently.

"Thank you for letting me know." The plane was already moving, the wheels pressing against the runway. Qian Meng pulled down the screen and looked at the person sitting on the other side.

"This is not a coincidence, is it?" she asked bleakly.

"This is the only flight to Paris today. I am also attending the conference, so obviously I took it. I was in first class and saw a very kind lady sitting next to you. So, I politely charmed her to let me sit beside you." He gave her a cheeky look.

"What is your excuse?" All thoughts of sleep vanished from her head.

"I don't like to sleep beside people I don't know. You're the only person I know. So, if I have to rub elbows with anyone, it should be you." There it was. The logic.

Qian Meng grit her teeth. "That's what the screens are for." She pointed towards it.

"It takes twenty minutes for takeoff and landing. Plus if we hit turbulence. All in all. The screen could be down for an hour or so during the flight."

"Fine. I'll go back to sleep." She grunted and violently pulled the mask down. Hiding her eyes, she crossed her hand over her chest and went off to sleep.

She had only herself to curse. She hated wearing uncomfortable clothing on a flight and easily caught colds, so she wore a comfortable baggy pair of clothes. It was fluffy and kept her warm. How was she to know she would meet someone she knew?

Well, he couldn't really tease her. He was always dressed so poorly. Shading her fashion sense would be the last thing he would consider.

She was almost asleep when the overhead signs turned off. She was hovering between consciousness and darkness, unable to move. Well, she could just move when she woke up.

There was bustle around her but she was lost to the world.

Mo Qingchen watched the others around her flutter around and make their beds in a hurry. He waited until everyone was done and finally got up to make his own. It was easy as could be, just needed thirty seconds. He was about to lay down. His eyes moved to her body.

Frustration set in.