I also stood at the back of the security check line. Ye Zhi didn't notice me, and I didn't want to focus my attention on her, but for a moment or two, I couldn't help but look at her.

By this time, she had already taken off her coat. The security officer first scanned her with the instrument and then gently touched her tied-up hair. After confirming that there were no problems, he let her through. She politely said "thank you" and then put on her coat and walked towards the waiting area.

At that moment, she was particularly genuine because she had no special privileges and did what all of us were about to do.

When it was my turn, it was quite a hassle, because the security officer suspected that I had something hidden in my cane and checked it repeatedly before letting me through.

I checked the time; there were still 45 minutes before boarding. I wasn't in a hurry, so I leisurely strolled to gate 6 and sat down in the seat opposite Ye Zhi. It was only then that Ye Zhi noticed me.

She was wearing sunglasses, and I don't know if she was surprised, but neither of us greeted her.

...

Ye Zhi took out something that looked like a document from her bag and placed it on her lap to look at it. I was wearing headphones, listening to music, and browsing today's trending news on my phone. At this moment, probably no one would believe that we knew each other.

About ten minutes later, I received a WeChat message from Wednesday: "Brother, I bought you breakfast and delivered it to your yard. Where are you?"

"You can eat by yourself. I'm already at the airport."

What are you going to the airport for?

"Go to Shanghai to see your fourth brother, but whatever you do, don't tell her. If you do, it won't feel like a surprise!"

"Really?!"

"I also think it's fake... But last night, I don't know what got into me, I bought a plane ticket to Shanghai... I'm still in a daze. I'm afraid that after we meet, we won't be able to explain things clearly."

“This is great news, don’t overthink it… My fourth brother will be very happy. You can also talk to her dad about investing in our project… Last night, I talked for more than a hour with a classmate who works in Shenzhen. He also thinks your idea is excellent. He said that as long as you launch the project, he will quit his job in Shenzhen and start a business with us.”

"Going to see her and seeking investment are two completely different things; don't confuse them."

"Why can't we talk about it together?... If you can bring my fourth brother and the investment back from Shanghai this time, all your problems will be solved; can you imagine a more perfect ending?"

"It's a good idea, but it sounds so awkward coming from your mouth!"

"Good luck... It all comes down to this."

I didn't reply to Wednesday's message again because I didn't want to make this trip too stressful... especially regarding investment. I never plan to go to Yang Sisi's dad to make grand promises before the project has even started, because I hate this kind of empty talk and personal connections in entrepreneurship.

I put down my phone, tilted my head back, took a deep breath, and when I looked down again, I unintentionally saw Ye Zhi. She had taken off her sunglasses and was staring blankly at a plane waiting to take off in the distance...

With her mixed-race looks, she was the center of attention wherever she went. I saw several men staring at her with 'infatuated' eyes. She seemed to be used to it, so her face remained expressionless.

After a while, the announcement for boarding and check-in finally came over the loudspeaker. Everyone else was a little anxious, carrying their luggage and heading towards the boarding gate. It seemed that no one realized that whether it was a morning flight or an evening flight, everyone had to sit in their assigned seats.

After half the people had entered the passage, Ye Zhi stood up from her seat, carrying her handbag. She hesitated for a moment, then came to me and asked in a low voice, "Do you need any help?"

I smiled and replied, "I've already come all that way, why would I care about the journey to get on the plane?"

After saying that, I stood up from my seat, leaning on my cane, and walked towards the line waiting to pass, ahead of Ye Zhi.

...

Once on the plane, I quickly found my seat. My seatmate was an elderly man who looked to be in his seventies or eighties. I was right; with over a hundred seats on the plane, the chances of Ye Zhi and me sitting together were practically nonexistent.

I've already decided that I'll go to sleep after the plane takes off... As long as I don't think about those messy things, this trip is basically the same as if I hadn't met Ye Zhi at all; anyway, we've only said one sentence so far, and we won't say another one after we get off the plane.

A short while later, Ye Zhi also sat down in the row of seats in front of me, near the wing. Her seatmate was a girl who looked to be only a little over 0 years old.

At that point, I felt nothing was going to happen, so after fastening my seatbelt, I closed my eyes and started to drift off to sleep...

Just as I was about to drift off, I suddenly felt someone push me. I opened my eyes and saw the girl who had sat next to Ye Zhi standing next to me. She put her hands together and said to me in a pleading tone, "Brother... I need to talk to you about something... My grandfather is flying for the first time and has a heart condition. I'm really worried about him. Could we switch seats?"

I stared at her in astonishment. If I agreed to switch, wouldn't that mean I would have to sit with Ye Zhi?

Seeing that I didn't speak, the girl said to me again with a sob in her voice, "Brother, this is just a small favor for you... My grandfather is already eighty-one years old this year, and his health isn't very good. I really feel uneasy if I'm not sitting next to him. Please help me!"

I turned my head and looked again. The old man was also looking at me with pleading eyes. Even the flight attendant came over to talk to me, saying that this was a special case and that I should be generous and give my seat to the young woman. The surrounding passengers also chimed in.

I couldn't withstand the pressure any longer and finally nodded in agreement; then the flight attendant and the girl helped me to Ye Zhi's seat.

I was incredibly embarrassed. When I realized that Ye Zhi wasn't looking at me strangely, I sat down next to her by the window.

...

After sitting down, I felt extremely uncomfortable because the seats on budget airlines have very tight gaps, and I always felt that if I moved, I would bump into Ye Zhi... I'm not saying I'm some kind of saint, but we've certainly exchanged far too many harsh words. It's really strange that the two of us, who should be going our separate ways, are sitting together like this.