Chapter 58: The Night Before Arriving in Shencheng (33k Requests for Follows)

Twilight hung heavy, the autumn breeze slightly cool, carrying a hint of chill.

At the entrance of Xucheng Academy.

Chen Yansen raised his hand to check the time; just as he was about to take out his phone, he saw Song Yuncheng running over, panting, with a khaki backpack on her back.

"Take the suitcase, let's grab a taxi to Peng Cheng first; time is tight."

Chen Yansen pushed the suitcase in his hand toward Song Yuncheng; without waiting for her response, he stood by the roadside and began hailing a car.

"Damn it, why hasn't the ride-hailing platform come online yet?"

Several taxis in a row were carrying passengers; Chen Yansen couldn't help but curse.

Song Yuncheng, carrying her backpack and dragging the suitcase like a maid, wiped the sweat from her face while curiously asking, "Why go to Peng Cheng? Aren't we going to Shencheng?"

"Xucheng has no airport; we can only go to Peng Cheng first."

Chen Yansen turned his head, sized Song Yuncheng up, and continued, "Your outfit won't do; by the time we get there, you might not even get through the door. To stand your ground in the workplace, you need decent attire; looking at you like this, you seem like a hard-luck working girl."

"I am a working girl to begin with."

Song Yuncheng didn't argue, replying with righteous indignation.

"Do you want to be a working girl for the rest of your life?"

Chen Yansen countered.

Song Yuncheng was speechless; she wasn't stupid and naturally understood the meaning behind Chen Yansen's words.

But, she couldn't bear to let it go.

She had heard Xu Xingxing mention that the cheapest shirt on Chen Yansen's body cost at least seven or eight hundred yuan, which was equivalent to two months of her living expenses.

Who doesn't want to dress brightly and elegantly, but that requires money!

After hailing a car, Chen Yansen got in directly and said to the driver, "To Peng Cheng Guanyin Airport; arrive before 8:30, and I'll give you an extra 100 yuan."

"Alright, rest assured; if I'm even one minute late, I'll give you 100 yuan back."

This trip was over 100 kilometers, already a big job; hearing there was a tip on top, the taxi driver immediately smiled and gave his word.

"Chen Yansen, I'm just a UI designer; why are you taking me along on your business trip?"

Song Yuncheng hesitated for quite a while before asking haltingly.

"I don't like the look of you; I just want to mess with you; is that not allowed?"

Chen Yansen lay back on the seat, teasing casually.

"Hmph! Chen Skin-Flayer!"

Song Yuncheng muttered softly.

"I've already said my ears are sharp; were you cursing me? Truly, good intentions are taken for a donkey's liver and lungs; don't you want to earn money on your own? I'm cultivating you! Do you think just relying on the UI designer position, you'll amount to anything in society?"

Perhaps because he had fire in his heart, Chen Yansen's words today were particularly sharp.

"Thank you, Boss Chen, for your magnanimity."

Song Yuncheng bent slightly, gritted her teeth to speak words of gratitude, and at the same time subconsciously touched the side pocket of her schoolbag, where a hard brick was stuffed.

Recalling Chen Yansen's previous behavior, Song Yuncheng went through a struggle of conscience before deciding to accompany him on the business trip.

"Wake me when we arrive; I'll take a nap."

Chen Yansen yawned, finished speaking, closed his eyes, and within a few minutes, snoring gradually rose as he fell asleep.

"Miss, your boyfriend has really good sleep quality!"

After getting on the highway, the taxi driver habitually started a conversation.

Just now, Chen Yansen and Song Yuncheng spoke quietly; the driver didn't hear clearly, otherwise he wouldn't have asked like that.

"Driver, you misunderstood; he is not my boyfriend," Song Yuncheng quickly denied.

"If not a boyfriend, then what?" The driver, who loved to chat, asked with a smile; he thought Song Yuncheng was too shy to admit it, so he teased.

"He... he is my boss," Song Yuncheng stated the truth.

Boss?

Hearing this unexpected answer, the driver pondered for a moment and then fell silent; for the sake of not talking, she even made up such an absurd reason; if he spoke again, wouldn't that be lacking in tact?

Over an hour later, exactly 8:28 PM, two minutes earlier than the time Chen Yansen required.

Chen Yansen paid and walked toward the entrance first.

Song Yuncheng dragged her big and small bags, trotting eagerly to catch up.

"Take out your ID card; go to D70 for check-in first."

After passing the first security checkpoint, Chen Yansen told Song Yuncheng and briefly explained the boarding process to her.

After busying themselves for over half an hour, the two got their boarding passes and sat down in the D70 waiting area.

"First time on a plane?"

Seeing her look anxious and uneasy, Chen Yansen suddenly asked.

"Mm." Song Yuncheng lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Then I recommend you watch a movie; I guarantee you won't be nervous once you're on the plane." Chen Yansen's eyes darted; suppressing his smile, he took out his phone from his pocket, fiddled with it for a moment, and handed it to Song Yuncheng.

Watch a movie?

Song Yuncheng looked puzzled; she was indeed a bit panicked in her heart, always feeling insecure once flying to ten thousand meters high.

She didn't think much of it, took Chen Yansen's phone, and stared intently at the screen.

As she watched, she began to notice something was wrong; until the plane in the movie suddenly exploded, startling her, she realized Chen Yansen had no good intentions.

However, this ten-year-old movie had plenty of gimmicks and suspense; even though she was afraid in her heart, Song Yuncheng persisted in finishing the movie.

"Now I'm even more afraid to take a plane."

Song Yuncheng handed the phone back to Chen Yansen, sighed deeply, and said somewhat timidly.

"Letting you watch this 'Final Destination' is to tell you that the probability of a plane crash is very low; unless it's in a movie, normally you won't encounter one once every three to five years."

Chen Yansen was spouting nonsense with a perfectly straight face.

"I bet you did that on purpose." Song Yuncheng didn't believe his explanation at all. She had wanted to feel the brick for some sense of security, but then remembered that because the brick was in her backpack, she'd had to check it in.

"Dear passengers, the Bo Yin hu7730 flight to Shencheng Anbao Airport is about to begin boarding. Please get ready in advance!"

The announcement came through the speakers.

Chen Yansen patted Song Yuncheng, signaling her to line up for boarding. There weren't many passengers on this late-night arrival flight, and a few minutes later, the two walked across the jet bridge and found their seats.

Their seats were in the first row of economy class, with no fold-down tray table, but luckily the space in front was wide enough to stretch their legs out straight.

Song Yuncheng sat by the window, glanced outside in a hurry, then quickly turned her head away and kept taking deep breaths.

Right after that, the plane began to taxi and take off, a tremendous roar sounding in their ears.

That familiar sound made Song Yuncheng immediately think of scenes from movies—her two feet were clearly planted on the ground, yet she felt a sensation of lifting off. In her panic, she grabbed Chen Yansen's hand tightly, as if clutching a life-saving straw.

"Are you taking advantage of me?"

Chen Yansen frowned and said, pretending to be displeased.

"Let me hold on, or I'll be scared." Song Yuncheng's lips were pale, her heart full of regret—movies might be good to watch, but she really shouldn't have watched them.

At this moment, her mind was full of images of planes exploding, and scenes from movies where the protagonist was targeted by the Grim Reaper and then died one by one.

"After a few more rides, you won't be afraid anymore." Chen Yansen comforted her casually.

Song Yuncheng was terrified. Without her familiar brick, and without the sense of security of having her feet on solid ground, she closed her eyes and gripped Chen Yansen's hand tightly.

"We've still got two hours before landing, I'm going to nap."

Chen Yansen smiled brightly, pulled Song Yuncheng's head over, and pressed it straight into his chest. Song Yuncheng was so startled she didn't dare resist.

No matter how fierce a stray cat, it's still a cat in the end, not a tiger.

Chen Yansen thought to himself, breathed in the faint fragrance on her, and fell fast asleep again.

"Chen Yansen, you can sleep even more than a pig."

Song Yuncheng lay in Chen Yansen's arms, her thoughts flying everywhere. She thought of her hometown, of her older brother, but the steady *thump-thump* of a heartbeat by her ear pulled her back to reality.

The scent on Chen Yansen was like the cypress wood back home—fresh with a hint of spice, followed by a warm woody fragrance that put the heart and mind at ease.

Before she knew it, Song Yuncheng had fallen asleep too, her breathing heavy, full of exhaustion.

When the flight attendant turned on the lights and came over pushing the meal cart, Chen Yansen opened his eyes and saw Song Yuncheng with her mouth open, having drooled a puddle on his chest.

Chen Yansen pulled out a tissue, wiped it clean in one motion, then shook her awake.

"Huh? Why is your shirt wet?" Song Yuncheng looked up at her own handiwork and asked instinctively.

"Wipe the drool off your mouth first before you talk." Chen Yansen looked thoroughly disgusted and handed her a tissue.

"Uh, boss, sorry about that." Song Yuncheng wiped the drool, her face instantly flushing red to the tips of her ears, so embarrassed her toes were curling into the floor.

Chen Yansen ignored her, asked the flight attendant parked beside them for two simple meals, and tossed one to Song Yuncheng.

"Tomorrow we're meeting the head of Penguin's compliance department. When we get to the hotel tonight, get the promotional materials for Fox Treasure ready, and think about—what you should and shouldn't say, in the capacity of the Chairman's assistant."

Chen Yansen reminded Song Yuncheng as he ate.

I've got yet another identity as the Chairman's assistant?

Song Yuncheng forced a wry smile and nodded. Her two pretty eyebrows were knitted tightly together—clearly Chen Yansen's request put a lot of pressure on her.

At 00:55, the plane landed.

Chen Yansen stood at the baggage claim, his face full of confusion. "You've only got one backpack, why did you still check luggage? Don't tell me you've got a brick in there?"

"Ah!? No, no, it's my first time on a plane, I don't really know the rules."

Having been seen right through, Song Yuncheng's heart went weak. She let out a dry laugh and hurried to deny it.

By the time the two took a cab to the hotel, it was already 1:30 AM.

The hotel's resplendent exterior walls, the deep blue outdoor pool, and the luxurious lobby decor stunned Song Yuncheng all at once. She stopped in her tracks and said hesitantly, "Mr. Chen, how about we switch to a different hotel? This one looks really expensive."

"It's not like you're paying, stop worrying over nothing."

Chen Yansen reached out, took her ID, and quickly completed the check-in procedures.

It wasn't until they took the elevator to the top floor and walked into the room that Song Yuncheng realized there was only one big bed inside.

Some suggestive scenes flashed quickly through her mind, and she stared blankly at Chen Yansen.

"What are you looking at me for? You take the sofa!"

"Right, remember to get the materials ready."

Chen Yansen dragged his suitcase into the bedroom. It was a luxury suite—even the sofa was bigger than the beds at Void City Academy.

"Boss, can I organize the materials tomorrow? It's already 1:30." Song Yuncheng tried to negotiate with him.

"If anyone else said that, I'd fire them on the spot." Chen Yansen said with a smile, right before closing the door.

"Boss, I'll definitely get it all organized."

Song Yuncheng was scared out of her wits, hurriedly pulled out her laptop and started working, cursing Chen Yansen nonstop in her heart.

She knew his temperament well—even if he wouldn't fire her, he'd definitely dock her pay.

The next day, Song Yuncheng was listless, clutching her laptop and materials, following behind Chen Yansen with a miserable look on her face.

"Smile for me! Or I'm docking your pay!"

Chen Yansen turned around and warned her fiercely.

"Okay, I'll smile!" Song Yuncheng pressed her lips together and forced out a smile, while mentally roasting him like crazy.

Chen Yansen had set the meeting time for 10 AM, but before heading to Penguin, they had to make a detour. He glanced at Song Yuncheng and gave his head a small shake.

(End of chapter)