Jiang City, autumn.
A gust of wind scattered the thick clouds covering the moon in the night sky, brightening the light cast on the ground. The rice in the fields reflected a dark golden color, rippling into shallow waves with the wind.
It was the early morning in the suburban farmland, so quiet it seemed as if the plants were asleep.
The old asphalt road connected to the field ridge followed the light ahead, abruptly cut off by a yellow painted line. On the other side lay the magnificent airport runway.
At this hour, the airport was completely different from the fields—brightly lit and bustling with activity. A Boeing 737 landed smoothly as more than a dozen shuttle buses moved forward in an orderly fashion.
Ruan Sixian pulled her flight case and walked quickly toward the Cheng Heng Airlines cabin crew meeting floor, her feet swift and her forehead beaded with fine sweat.
Inside the elevator, she took out her phone and checked the time: twelve forty-one. Less than five minutes remained before the pre-flight coordination meeting.
The elevator doors opened, and Ruan Sixian hurried through the crowded hall and turned toward the meeting room corridor.
Several flight attendants wearing the same blue uniform as hers stood at the door of meeting room B32, chatting together.
“Ruan Sixian, why are you just arriving now?” Jiang Ziyue asked, turning around from the group.
Ruan Sixian had made it just in time and sighed with relief. “I ran into something on my way out.”
As the chief flight attendant, Jiang Ziyue felt obligated to remind her: “Pay more attention next time. Everything else aside, you know today’s flight is particularly important.”
Ruan Sixian nodded in agreement.
Today’s flight from Jiang City direct to London was one of World Airlines’ core international routes.
What made it special was that Fu Mingyu, the Vice President of World Airlines, would also be on this flight.
Fu Mingyu usually traveled by private jet and rarely took World Airlines flights, so Jiang Ziyue, as the chief flight attendant, had briefed the cabin crew in their small group chat as soon as she saw his name on the passenger list.
Ruan Sixian glanced at the meeting room again. “They haven’t come out yet?”
Jiang Ziyue: “No, don’t know what this flight crew is dawdling about. Our captain is still in the restroom.”
“Then I’ll go to the restroom to adjust my scarf and touch up my makeup.”
Ruan Sixian had been afraid of being late when she left the dormitory, so she had jogged all the way. Her neck was sweaty, making the scarf feel sticky and uncomfortable.
After saying this, Ruan Sixian hurried to the restroom, turned on the faucet to wash her hands, and used her damp index finger to tuck a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.
She looked at herself in the mirror—exquisite makeup, meticulously pinned hair, and a proper, form-fitting uniform. Not bad, but completely unremarkable.
Only the scarf around her neck tilted slightly like rabbit ears, made her look somewhat different from the other flight attendants.
But this was a difference only she noticed; no one else would pay attention.
Now even this interestingly crooked scarf had to be untied and properly retied by her.
As she lowered her hand, Ruan Sixian felt something in the inner pocket of her uniform.
She paused, unbuttoned one button, and pulled out the object.
It was a letter in a pink envelope sealed with red wax.
—This was the reason Ruan Sixian had been late leaving.
This afternoon, her roommate Si Xiaozhen learned that Fu Mingyu would be on Ruan Sixian’s flight. She wrote this letter and instructed Ruan Sixian to find an opportunity to give it to Fu Mingyu.
Seeing Ruan Sixian’s apparent reluctance, Si Xiaozhen said with reddened eyes: “We study together every day, prepare together for the flight recruitment exam, and registration was supposed to be next week, but then the Feathers Program gets canceled just like that! Don’t you want to try one more time?”
The Feathers Program was World Airlines’ internal pilot recruitment plan, selecting a certain number of employees each year for pilot training, regardless of position or gender. This year, just as the application period was approaching, Fu Mingyu, who headed the Flight Department, canceled the program.
For most people, this was just a minor, inconsequential change, but for Ruan Sixian and Si Xiaozhen, who had joined World Airlines specifically for this program, it was a devastating blow.
Ruan Sixian opened her mouth as if to refuse, but Si Xiaozhen continued: “I’ve sent him many emails without receiving any acknowledgment. This is our only option now. I know you think this method is ridiculous, but what if? What if Vice President Fu is an approachable and kind person who would reconsider after reading my letter? And besides…”
Ruan Sixian raised her hand, interrupting Si Xiaozhen, and accepted the letter.
“I just think, couldn’t you change the envelope? This makes it look like I’m delivering a love letter.”
Unexpectedly, this was Ruan Sixian’s only hesitation. Si Xiaozhen lowered her head shyly: “You know I love pink, and I don’t have any other envelopes.”
What more could Ruan Sixian say?
Now that she was already at the terminal, there was no way to change the color of the envelope.
“What are you doing?”
Suddenly, Jiang Ziyue pushed open the door, half her body leaning in. “The captain’s here. Hurry up, the meeting’s starting.”
Ruan Sixian quickly hid the letter behind her back and nodded: “Okay, I’m coming.”
Jiang Ziyue caught this small movement, her gaze sweeping over suspiciously. “What are you holding?”
Ruan Sixian didn’t want Jiang Ziyue to see what she had in her hand, but her instinctive hiding movement had been too obvious, making it seem like she had something to hide. With Jiang Ziyue’s questioning eyes upon her, Ruan Sixian could only slightly wave the item in her hand.
“Just this, nothing special.”
Once Jiang Ziyue saw the pink envelope clearly, her tightly pursed lips relaxed. “What nonsense. Come on, don’t dawdle.”
Ruan Sixian tucked the letter into her inner pocket, buttoned up, and walked toward Jiang Ziyue.
Because Fu Mingyu was on the VIP passenger list, the captain paid extra attention to this pre-flight coordination meeting, speaking twenty minutes longer than usual.
By the time it ended, it was time to board, but they received a notification from the control tower that due to traffic control, they would be delayed for about an hour.
Suddenly there was more time. The captain stood up to stretch his muscles and said to the two co-pilots beside him: “Shall we go buy something to eat?”