Chapter 8 Captain's Announcement
"It's all about luck." Xiang Yun chuckled briefly, looking down.
The cabin was filled with jubilation. The impact of the flight delay was forgotten, and people wished each other a Happy New Year. Passengers sitting by the window looked out and, sure enough, saw the twinkling "starlight" that the captain had mentioned.
The city's night view remained bright, with patches of lights framed like a grid, and fireworks bursting forth above the warm orange lights and beneath the giant airplane, as dazzling as pearls.
"It's so beautiful!" The passenger took out his phone and captured the scene.
"Dear passengers, Happy New Year. This is Captain Xiang Yun of this flight. The aircraft is currently descending and is scheduled to land at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport in 15 minutes. The local time is 00:01, and the ground temperature is -5 degrees Celsius. There may be minor turbulence during the descent. Please ensure that you fasten your seatbelts, stow your tray tables, and adjust your seat backs throughout the flight. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. We look forward to serving you again next time and wish you a pleasant journey in Shanghai."
"This is the second time the captain has made an announcement. This captain's voice is so nice! I hope I can fly with him on the return trip next time."
"I just recorded it! I can listen to it a hundred times when I get back!"
"Sisters! Send it to me! Send it to me!"
"Hey! We've landed." The man impatiently nudged his colleague.
The man, still covered by a blanket, opened his dazed eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "We've landed? Why didn't you wake me up to watch the fireworks?"
"Let's go! Don't cause so much trouble!"
Passengers disembarked in an orderly fashion until the last person disappeared, and the cabin finally returned to calm, much to the relief of the flight attendants.
The flight attendant sat down, clutching her aching back. "Oh dear, my back is killing me. You all should rest a bit too. Once the captains have finished the landing procedures, you can go back and get some rest."
"Everyone has worked hard." Xiang Yun and the co-pilot walked over from afar, holding a stack of red envelopes in their hands.
The new flight attendant's eyes lit up. Before starting work, she had heard that some captains would give New Year's red envelopes to their crew members, and she never expected to encounter this.
"Happy New Year!" Xiang Yun handed over a red envelope.
The new flight attendant blushed and accepted the gift with both hands. "Thank you, Captain Xiang! I wish you a healthy and prosperous New Year!"
"Thank you, Captain Xiang! Handsome and kind-hearted captain, I wish you find your perfect match soon!"
"Happy New Year, thank you Captain Xiang, and I wish you become even more handsome in the new year!"
"Damn, Yun-ge is getting such good treatment? Why isn't anyone wishing me to get more and more handsome?" The co-pilot laughed, put one hand on his hip, handed out half of the red envelopes, and then put the rest behind him.
"The co-pilot is already this handsome, if he gets any more handsome, wouldn't he be even more handsome than Captain Xiang?" the flight attendant laughed.
"Yun-ge is still the most handsome, that's universally acknowledged, I won't compete with him!" The co-pilot readily handed over the red envelope.
When Xiang Yun got off the plane, he still had a red envelope in his hand.
"Hey, Yun-ge, why do you have an extra one? Is it for your girlfriend?" The co-pilot raised an eyebrow.
Xiang Yun, pulling the flight case, kindly reminded him, "You should go home now."
The co-pilot rolled up his sleeve, revealing a Rolex GMT Master with a silver bezel and gold accents. This watch is essential for cross-time zone flights, featuring dual time zone display. Captains flying international routes usually buy one, and Gu Xing owns one.
"It's time to go home. Goodbye, Yun-ge. I hope we can fly together again next time."
"goodbye."
Xiang Yun said goodbye to him and originally intended to drive straight back, but she turned around and decided to buy a cup of coffee.
There weren't many customers in the coffee shop in the early morning. Xiang Yun ordered a coffee and sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. There was a book on the long wooden table with a hollowed-out rose-shaped bookmark inside.
A gentle breeze rustled the pages of the book, carrying a faint scent of ink.
"my heart
"A bird of the wilderness"
"In your eyes"
It found its sky.
— Tagore.
These two sentences suddenly caught Xiang Yun's eye. He hadn't intended to peek, but he saw them with just a casual glance.
He closed the book and took it to the bar, handing it to the waiter there.
"A guest left a book here."
"Thank you, your coffee is ready." The waiter took the book and placed it on the bar, then handed the coffee to Xiang Yun.
Xiang Yun didn't leave. He frowned slightly. The books were on the bar. What if they got dirty?
A gust of wind suddenly rushed up from behind Xiang Yun, and a warm and elegant fragrance reached him before he even arrived.
"Excuse me? Have you seen my book? It's on that long table over there."
The familiar female voice, which I had just heard in the channel, now sounded lingering and long, accompanied by rapid breathing.
"Miss, is this the one? This gentleman just brought it over." The waiter was about to reach for the book on the bar.
Xiang Yun, who was standing nearby, handed the book to Xu Songning and said, "Miss Xu, Happy New Year."
Although Bodori wished everyone a Happy New Year, some things are more meaningful when said in person.
"Captain Xiang?!" Xu Songning was startled. A splash of red suddenly appeared before her eyes. Her red lips parted slightly, as if she couldn't believe it. "A red envelope for me?"
A strange feeling spread from the bottom of her heart. Ever since her mother went abroad to experience life, she didn't look forward to the New Year as much as others. The stress of work actually made her feel more comfortable, so every year she would volunteer to work on New Year's Eve.
"We prepared one extra for the crew, Ms. Xu, please don't mind."
Xiang Yun placed the red envelope in her palm. His cool fingertips brushed against Xu Songning's palm, and she came back to her senses. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with tenderness.
"Happy New Year," she replied solemnly, though she had said it countless times tonight, but this time was different.
Xu Songning shook the red envelope in her hand and laughed, "How could I dislike it? Captain Xiang was lucky tonight, and I was lucky too, I even earned a red envelope."
She had to go back to work. She glanced at the time and realized she had been out for almost half an hour. If she didn't go back soon, she would miss her deadline. She said goodbye to Xiang Yun and went back into the small dark room.
Her shift ended as dawn broke, and her replacement wished her a Happy New Year and gave her a bag of New Year's goods she had brought from home.
Xu Songning has worked the Spring Festival shift for several years in a row. Her colleagues may not say it, but they all care about her and are grateful that she sacrificed her time to make it possible for others to spend the Spring Festival with their families.
So, whenever her colleagues had something delicious, they would bring her a share. Lu Xiaomeng brought a thermos. She was dressed warmly and put the thermos in Xu Songning's arms.
"Sister Xu, these are dumplings I made myself, you have to eat them all!"
She was petite, and she hugged Xu Songning, who was half a head taller than her. Xu Songning laughed and played along, "You wrapped it? Wouldn't that give it away?"
Lu Xiaomeng stared with her beautiful round eyes, "No way! Last year my skills weren't good enough, but this year it's delicious!"
"Hahahaha, okay, I'll definitely eat all the dumplings that Uncle and Auntie made." Xu Songning pinched the tip of her nose.
"You... Oh dear, why doesn't Sister Xu give me any face at all?" Lu Xiaomeng pouted and tilted her head with a smile.
"Your dumplings are delicious, even if they're leaking filling."
"Sister Xu~!" Lu Xiaomeng was about to explode when she remembered something and leaned closer to her mysteriously, "Did the male guest show any reaction?"
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