Ji Xizhou shook his head and said mysteriously, “Close, but not quite.”
Ji Liuyue propped her chin on her hand, seemingly studying him.
After a while, she finally spoke slowly.
“You were probably an independent architect before, and then started your own architecture firm, right?”
Ji Xizhou wore the first genuinely stunned expression of the day.
“How did you know? Don’t tell me you read my file ahead of time.”
Of course, she was only joking. Ji Liuyue had no way of having that kind of access.
Even Liu Qingye, whom the production team had previously intended to heavily promote, hadn’t been given the privilege of looking through all the guests’ information in advance.
After all, some scenes worked better when filmed in complete secrecy, since that made the chemistry between the participants more natural.
Liu Qingye took another careful look at Ji Xizhou. His appearance, as well as his career, made her even more satisfied.
Just then, she patted Ji Liuyue on the arm.
Ji Liuyue turned to look at her. “What is it?”
Without the slightest embarrassment, Liu Qingye smiled and said, “Liuyue, let’s switch seats. The light by the window is too bright and hurts my eyes.”
That excuse would have been better left unsaid.
Ji Liuyue gave a cold laugh and asked the question straight from the soul: “If the light by the window is too bright and hurts your eyes, why wouldn’t it hurt mine?”
Liu Qingye fell silent.
She had only casually come up with an excuse, of course, because she wanted to sit beside Ji Xizhou.
But after being asked that question, her mind hit a dead end.
How was she supposed to answer?
The cameras were rolling, after all. If she responded poorly and the production team left it in the final cut, her career would start going downhill.
She tugged at her off-the-shoulder top, deliberately exposing her prominent collarbones and fair skin for Ji Xizhou to see.
Turning her head, she explained with a smile, “Actually, that’s not the real reason. I just feel that the air by the window is a little cold…”
Ji Xizhou interrupted her. “Although I’m not actually a flight attendant, your problem can be solved with a blanket.”
With that, he waved to a flight attendant.
The flight attendant quickly came over and asked what they needed.
Ji Xizhou answered briskly, “Two blankets, please.”
The flight attendant brought them over, and Ji Xizhou handed one to Ji Liuyue and one to Liu Qingye.
Liu Qingye was the one who had asked for a blanket, but he had thoughtfully gotten two—and he even handed one to Ji Liuyue first.
There was no doubt about who had received more of his favor.
Liu Qingye wasn’t stupid. Naturally, she noticed that even on their first meeting, Ji Xizhou clearly had a better impression of Ji Liuyue than of her.
After thinking it over, she decided not to keep pushing. What if she ended up making things worse?
She took the blanket and simply went to sleep.
Before long, she had drifted off.
But just because she was behaving herself didn’t mean everyone else was.
Soon, the plane accelerated along the runway and took off. All the tray tables were folded away, while the cabin lights and window shades were turned off.
The entire cabin sank into dark silence.
The camera footage became blurry as well.
Only the faint sound of breathing grew more distinct.
Ji Liuyue was pretending to sleep beneath her blanket when she suddenly noticed one corner of the blanket beside her being gently tugged.
She paid no attention.
After a while, it was tugged again.
This time, the movement was tentative and cautious.
“What is it?” She opened her eyes and turned her head, meeting Ji Xizhou’s gaze.
He lowered his voice. “I’m afraid of the dark.”
As he spoke, his grip on the corner of the blanket tightened slightly.
Was he really afraid of the dark, or was he pretending?
Ji Liuyue hesitated, only to hear him add in a pitiful voice, “…It’s fine. I’ll just hold on to the blanket.”
His eyes were moist and bright as he looked at her, while his fluffy head edged a little closer.
“Then what else do you want to hold on to?”
Her smile was indistinct in the darkness. Beneath the blanket, however, her hand silently slipped past every obstruction and gently closed around one of his fingers.
Their fingers touched, warm against warm.
The sensation made his heart tremble.
Ji Xizhou’s eyes lit up.
Ji Liuyue lowered her gaze, looking like a siren tempting sailors to their doom.
“Are you still afraid?”
Ji Xizhou lowered his eyes, his voice low and melodious. “Not anymore.”
For as long as the cabin lights remained off, their fingertips stayed secretly entwined beneath the blanket.
Only after the plane reached cruising altitude and the ride became smooth did the cabin lights come back on. Liu Qingye, who had been dozing by the window, yawned and slowly opened her eyes.
The two people beside her released each other’s hands in perfect unspoken understanding.
“Why haven’t we arrived yet?” Liu Qingye first glanced out at the view beyond the window, then turned around and discovered that neither of them had been sleeping.
She asked why they were still awake.
Ji Xizhou’s eyes were clear and bright. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Ji Liuyue’s tone was indifferent. “I got plenty of rest yesterday.”
Liu Qingye didn’t suspect a thing. “Oh…”
She had no idea what had happened while she was asleep.
Nothing else happened during the rest of the flight.
Not until they landed.
Dragging their suitcases behind them, they finally boarded the bus to meet the other guests, who had arrived two hours earlier.
The moment Ji Xizhou stepped onto the bus, Wang Aitian let out a shriek.
“Ahhhhh! Yueyue, you’re amazing! How did you manage to bring a flight attendant back with you?”
Zhang Weiyi’s eyes also lit up slightly when she saw Ji Xizhou.
Ji Liuyue explained with an helpless smile, “He’s the new male guest, Ji Xizhou.”
“Ji Xizhou? Which Ji?” Wang Aitian pressed.
Ji Xizhou smiled, revealing a tiny canine tooth. “I’d certainly love to share a surname with Yueyue, but unfortunately, my Ji is the Ji in ‘anniversary.’”
“Ooh!” Wang Aitian looked at him, then at Ji Liuyue, her expression practically screaming that she had just witnessed something adorable.
Liu Qingye had just finished putting her suitcase away beneath the bus when she came aboard and saw the scene.
The smile on her face could hardly be called friendly.
She walked over to Ji Xizhou, glanced at the remaining seats, and said, “Xizhou, you sat next to Liuyue on the plane. Why don’t you sit in my row this time?”
She pointed to a pair of seats in the third row on the left.
Ji Xizhou pretended not to hear her.
Only after seeing Ji Liuyue sit down beside Wang Aitian did he reluctantly take the seat across from her.
A male guest had originally been sitting there.
Ji Xizhou didn’t know him, so he took the initiative to greet him. “Hello, I’m Ji Xizhou.”
The man was also strikingly handsome. Amber eyes flashed with scrutiny, and the corners of his lips curved in a half-smile. Only after a moment did he slowly extend his hand.
“Hello. I’m Xu Jinsi.”
When the two men shook hands, both used all their strength. Veins bulged across the backs of their hands.
Although they were both smiling, sparks flashed in their eyes.
After they let go, Ji Xizhou seemed to understand.
Oh.
So this Xu Jinsi was in love with his Yueyue.
