Chapter 19: A Picturesque Night, A Deranged Order

The clock struck twelve, and the plane flew along the coastline.

The night outside was deep, devoid of streets and lights. Ji Zhen Tang could only see endless darkness, giving her a sense of floating in the universe. Fortunately, she could still catch the lights on the wings, like a tether pulling her back from plunging too deep into the boundary between dreams and reality.

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Zhong Yu Bai stared at her, confirming once more.

With the pearl earrings in place, one side of her earlobe felt a slight weight. Ji Zhen Tang glanced at him from the corner of her eye, meeting his gaze before slowly lowering her eyes and shaking her head, while he inspected the swaying pearls following her movements.

Only a faint scent of his cologne lingered, fading away from the crowded exhibition. Now, only the scent of cedarwood and amber interwoven in the air occupied her senses.

It felt like the crisp early autumn air around the waist of a valley, with a towering temple ahead. The temple emanated the sound of bells and the drifting smoke, while birds flew out from the mist.

Simple yet profound.

“On the right,” Zhong Yu Bai gently held up the other earring in his palm, suggesting she turn to the side.

With the man in her peripheral vision, legs crossed and tie loosened, speaking softly with an air of elegance, Ji Zhen Tang took the initiative to take the other pearl from his hand.

Ji Zhen Tang skillfully wore the earrings and soon they were in place.

Zhong Yu Bai looked at his empty palm and suddenly asked, “Are you afraid of me?”

“Huh?” She hesitated for a moment. Even in the dimly lit cabin, it wasn’t hard to notice that her ears and cheeks were flushed. Ji Zhen Tang was surprised by this question. He seemed to have asked it before, over the phone, and she had pretended not to understand, ignoring it. Facing this enigmatic man now, hearing him ask whether she was afraid or not, she hesitated to respond. Zhong Yu Bai smiled gently and said, “Don’t be afraid.”

“Are you a good person?” she couldn’t help but ask.

He thought about it seriously for a moment before answering quite frankly, “Not necessarily.”

Ji Zhen Tang no longer showed fear, but couldn’t help but chuckle.

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her calmly.

She was more afraid of what he wouldn’t say than what he would.

After a moment of silence, the atmosphere made her become reserved again.

“Fang Mo,” Ji Zhen Tang attempted to change the subject.

Zhong Yu Bai continued to stare at her, silently asking about Fang Mo.

She awkwardly cleared her throat, wanting to find something to say, and blurted out, “Does she like you?”

The words came out without much thought, and only afterward did she realize it might have been too blunt. Then she remembered Zhong Yu Bai’s suspicion of her indulgence, realizing that her bluntness might be forgiven as childishness. So she didn’t attempt to correct this childish remark. With a pair of seemingly innocent eyes, she quietly waited for his answer.

Zhong Yu Bai countered, “Like?”

His tone made her realize that in the adult world, those two words didn’t hold the same meaning.

She smiled indifferently, “Okay, I was just guessing.”

Zhong Yu Bai pondered before saying, “She has her own thoughts.”

“What specifically?” She understood somewhat but wanted to hear his opinion.

Continuing in his leisurely manner, he said, “In a world where the victor takes all, one naturally strives to grasp what they can.”

“I can see that the entertainment industry is tough. I really admire the psychological resilience of artists,” she commented, continuing her innocent chatter, probing further, “You’re so generous, why not give her a chance?”

Zhong Yu Bai simply replied, “I have my own principles.”

The answer she hoped for might have been: I don’t like those kinds of people. I’m not interested in playing games of power and influence. I’m not that kind of person. But he didn’t say that. The word “principles” made his words sound calm, abstract, and somewhat unconventional.

Ji Zhen Tang couldn’t quite understand his choice of words.

“Your principles? Sounds very strict. Does that include taking me on a plane to see the stars? That sounds quite casual,” she teased.

He lowered his gaze, watching the pearls lightly swaying below her earlobes, and said, “You are outside of my principles.”

“…”

Abstract combined with abstract, she found it increasingly difficult to understand his words, attempting to capture emotions from his eyes, but he showed none. She failed.

Zhong Yu Bai added, “Moreover, if person one wants to catch me, and person twp wants to catch me too, if I were to indulge everyone, I would have to consider where my priorities lie.”

As he spoke, a hint of a smile appeared on his face, faintly lingering at the corners of his mouth, as he smiled at her.

Ji Zhen Tang understood this sentence: “One” refers to her, “two” refers to Fang Mo. One should not indulge both, and his mind is now clear about whom it is focused on.

She felt her body warming up and murmured, somewhat unnecessarily, “So… whose side are you on now?”

Her words were soft, almost as if she were talking to herself.

Zhong Yu Bai didn’t respond directly. He paused for a moment and smoothly changed the subject, saying, “Let Editor Huang show you around. She has a good reputation in the industry and is flexible in her dealings. Unlike me, she puts all her eggs in one basket. With her, you can pick and choose as you like.”

The meaning behind his words was that he might not attend every time, but Huang Xinkui would definitely be there in person.

Ji Zhen Tang’s expectations weren’t high: “I don’t have that ability. She’ll forget about me in a few days.”

She was very sure.

“She won’t forget.”

She smiled calmly, “It’s okay. Even if she really forgets about me, it’s okay. I’m already content, really.”

She was very grateful for his help. But she knew deep down that she was basking in someone else’s glory.

If she had to stop at a certain point, she would still have made a huge profit.

Ji Zhen Tang lowered her head and pinched the yellow cloth bag, then recalled the poem written on it.

She placed it in Zhong Yu Bai’s hand, saying, “This is for you. Good luck needs to be worshipped; don’t just leave it lying around, it will affect its sincerity.”

Zhong Yu Bai took it and held the sachet in his hand.

He had forgotten when he had requested it and when it had been left in the corner. Since she didn’t want it, he didn’t force the gift and put it back in his pocket.

“You like high places, is this high enough for you?” Ji Zhen Tang stood up and stretched her muscles, looking at the distant night sky and surveying the large cabin.

Zhong Yu Bai watched her figure as she moved around, saying, “It’s too high to see clearly; it will be lonely.”

As he said this, his voice carried a slight chill of loneliness at high altitudes.

“So that’s what it means: behind glory lies loneliness,” she turned around and smiled brightly, “But you won’t feel it now, because I’m here with you.”

The ice and snow accumulated in Zhong Yu Bai’s eyes melted slightly, imperceptibly. He smiled and nodded, “It’s lively now.”

Ji Zhen Tang had rested enough and went to explore his bedroom.

The room was well-equipped, with a large bed in the center and soft, pink colors all around, resembling a princess’s castle. Obviously, it didn’t match the temperament of a big boss. If he said it was specially prepared for her, Ji Zhen Tang would be surprised enough to scream.

Turning around, she saw a dashing man leaning against the wall, his tie undone, leaving only his clean, crisp white shirt with a hint of icy fragrance, his cuffs slightly rolled up, revealing the vigorous veins on his bare forearms like green mountains.

“Would you like to dance?” He stood under the light, his face handsome.

As soon as he spoke, lively music could be heard from somewhere. The piano mixed with the violin, with a slow three-beat dance rhythm.

“Waltz!” Ji Zhen Tang smiled.

Zhong Yu Bai smiled faintly and nodded.

He extended his arm, inviting warmly, “Come on, miss.”

She stepped over and placed her hand in his.

Dancing was Ji Zhen Tang’s hidden skill, as her mother used to dance. Back then, she had intentionally tried to cultivate her in this direction, but they had gone their separate ways, and she hadn’t mastered the dance. Now, in the lively melody of the waltz, she moved back and forth, effortlessly following his graceful steps.

Zhong Yu Bai held her waist, and between their movements, he exuded the elegant demeanor of an exquisite gentleman.

Ji Zhen Tang smiled happily.

Without deliberately showing off, when she looked at him and smiled, it was natural and innocent. It seemed like all the flowers, birds, clouds, stars, and moons in the world would fly and grow freely with her carefree smile, dissolving all pain in the vast garden with romance.

Slowly, the music ended.

The dance steps gradually stopped.

“Can you drink?” Zhong Yu Bai asked.

She shook her head, “It stimulates the heart and may trigger my condition.”

“Grape juice?”

Before she could respond, he had already neatly poured her a glass of juice and handed it over, saying, “After drinking, go wash up and remove your makeup. Lie down and rest for a while.”

Ji Zhen Tang saw a new set of pajamas on the bedside table and asked him, “Can I not change clothes? I want to wear these for a longer time.”

He smiled and nodded, “It’s up to you.”

Then he turned and walked out of the room, leaving a remark, “I’ll come back later and wake you up.”

A somewhat fancy and unforgettable night ended slowly in her ears with the lingering melody. Ji Zhen Tang put on her clothes and went to sleep, sleeping deeply without dreams, until she was finally awakened by a tap on her shoulder, opening her eyes.

“Ah Zhen, come and see the sunrise.”

Zhong Yu Bai bent down to look at her. He had changed into a clean ash-gray shirt and put on a matching tie. His jawline had a faint blue hue, and his thin face was mature and elegant, exuding a freshness after washing, and she could smell a hint of mint because they were so close.

She sat up blankly, rubbing her sleepy, dry eyes. Realizing what they had been doing not long ago, she asked, “Where are we now?”

“Xingzhou,” he said.

Her heart tightened, and she instantly woke up.

Ji Zhen Tang lifted the hem of her skirt and hurried to the porthole to look down.

The scattered islands could be vaguely seen, spread out beneath the slightly heavy clouds. The sun rose from the horizon, turning the entire sky pink.

It was completely pink.

The stars were still visible, and the moon had not yet set.

The sun illuminated the horizon with shapes and colors, bringing a grand romantic scenery above the clouds.

She glanced at Zhong Yu Bai with surprise.

He stood behind her, hands in his pockets, with a faint smile on his face. He only glanced briefly at the scenery before shifting his gaze to her expression. Then, slowly, he leaned forward, one hand resting on a corner of the table on her other side, lowering his posture to see beyond the slightly lower porthole.

With one arm, he loosely encircled her in his embrace.

In the atmosphere enveloped by hormones, people often felt inclined to talk about emotions.

Ji Zhen Tang lowered her eyes. In this pink universe, what came to her mind was Zhong Yu Bai’s words.

Two sentences.

One was at Chenzhang Garden when he asked: “What can you give me?”

To make her feel indulged.

The other was the casual remark few hours ago, “Let’s always be together.”

Making her sense a subtle earnestness.

Perhaps Zhong Yu Bai wasn’t as unfathomable as she thought. He left room for imagination, allowing her to release many fantasies. One day, she would accurately understand his intentions.

She could guess right, as long as she was willing to take step by step to try.

Compared to jewelry exhibitions, the world of fame and fortune, she felt that this man was more like her amusement park.

She and him were playing a game.

But at this moment, she didn’t want to try even a bit further. She let her thoughts linger before guessing, living second by second with him in the lingering warmth of this unfinished morning.

This feeling was good enough; reasons were not that important.

Ji Zhen Tang looked for a long time, but this time she didn’t take out her phone to take pictures.

When people witness truly breathtaking scenes, they are probably as stunned as she was now, besides staring intently, letting this scene imprint deeply in memory. She couldn’t think of any other way to record and preserve it more perfectly.

There seemed to be a wave of emotions ready to burst inside her body. She tried to restrain it and sighed, “It’s so beautiful. This is my first time watching the sunrise on a plane and waltzing at ten thousand meters above sea level.”

Zhong Yu Bai said, “I like the phrase ‘first time.’ It’s fresh, exciting, unforgettable.”

His voice fell on her ear, his elegant and refined face, high nose, and tantalizing lips.

He was unusually close to her, breaking the usual distance between them.

He said he had his principles and orders.

Ji Zhen Tang thought, did her world not also fall into a kind of derailing those orders?

Sunrise and sunset, day after day. The routine of days without visible results made her background gray, forcing her into a boring cycle.

Until today, in this empty sky, she could finally escape completely, as if eloping, eloping to the end of the universe.

The enchanting night, the derailing order. The eternal sentiment, the romanticism of the sun and the moon shining together.

Everything was fleeting yet enduring, fleeting enough to bid farewell after a nap, enduring enough for her to never forget.

Ji Zhen Tang smiled and said, “But this plane’s name is Zhong. You’ve flown countless times on it, so your experience isn’t as fresh as mine.”

He disagreed, lowering his voice, with a hint of sweetness between his lips and teeth, “It’s also my first time having a lady on this plane, the first time I don’t feel lonely on this plane.”

Her heart was also turning pink, swelling, contracting, beating relentlessly.

He continued, “The first time, at this moment, giving a lady a rose.”

The man’s voice was low and magnetic, repeatedly lowered due to the proximity, which was more shocking. Each sentence struck the heart, touching it closely.

Like performing a magic trick, Zhong Yu Bai produced a red rose from somewhere, the stem entwined between his distinct knuckles, raising it by the window with the universe as the backdrop, adding color to the world of fairy tales.

He smiled, “It says to her: Good morning. Congratulations, at this moment, you are renewed.”

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