Chapter 59 - 58: The Night Before Visiting Shencheng City
Dusk settled, and the cool autumn wind carried a hint of a chill.
Outside the gates 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 toward him, out of breath, a khaki-colored backpack on her shoulders.
"Take the suitcase. We’ll grab a taxi to Peng City first. We’re tight on time."
Chen Yansen pushed the suitcase in his hand toward Song Yuncheng. Without waiting for her to reply, he stepped to the curb and started hailing a cab.
"Damn it, why isn’t the ride-sharing app working yet?"
A few taxis in a row drove past, all occupied. Chen Yansen couldn’t help but curse.
Song Yuncheng, shouldering her bag and dragging the suitcase like a little servant girl, wiped the sweat from her face and asked curiously, "Why are we going to Peng City? Aren’t we going to Shencheng City?"
"Xucheng doesn’t have an airport. We have to go to Peng City first."
Chen Yansen turned his head, sized up Song Yuncheng, and continued, "That outfit won’t do. You probably won’t even be able to get in the door. If you want to make it in the professional world, you need some decent clothes. You look like some poor, downtrodden working girl."
"But I am a working girl."
Song Yuncheng didn’t argue, replying with frank confidence.
"You want to be a working girl your whole life?"
Chen Yansen shot back.
Song Yuncheng was speechless. She wasn’t stupid; she naturally understood what Chen Yansen meant.
But she just couldn’t bring herself to spend the money.
She had heard Xu Xingxing mention that the cheapest shirt Chen Yansen owned cost at least seven or eight hundred yuan—that was equivalent to her living expenses for two months.
’Who wouldn’t want to dress stylishly? But that costs money!’
After they flagged down a cab, Chen Yansen got in directly and said to the driver, "Peng City Guanyin Airport. Get us there before 8:30, and I’ll add another 100 yuan."
"You got it! Don’t you worry. If we’re one minute late, I’ll give you 100 yuan back."
The trip was over 100 kilometers, a big fare to begin with. Hearing there was a tip on top of that, the taxi driver immediately beamed and made his guarantee.
"Chen Yansen, I’m just a UI designer. Why are you taking me on a business trip?"
Song Yuncheng hesitated for a good while before asking haltingly.
"You get on my nerves, so I felt like tormenting you. Is that a problem?"
Chen Yansen teased her nonchalantly, leaning back in his seat.
"Hmph! Chen Bapi!"
Song Yuncheng muttered under her breath.
"I told you, I have sharp hearing. Were you just cursing me? No good deed goes unpunished. Don’t you want to earn your own money? I’m trying to develop your skills, you know? Did you think you’d amount to anything in this world just by being a UI designer?"
Perhaps because he was bottling up some anger, Chen Yansen’s words were especially harsh today.
"Thank you, Boss Chen, for your magnanimity."
Song Yuncheng gave a slight bow, forcing out the words of gratitude through gritted teeth. At the same time, she subconsciously felt the side pocket of her backpack, where a hard brick was stuffed.
Recalling Chen Yansen’s previous behavior, Song Yuncheng had gone through quite an internal struggle before deciding to accompany him on this business trip.
"Wake me when we get there. I’m going to get some shut-eye."
Chen Yansen yawned, closed his eyes, and within a few minutes, the sound of his snores began to fill the car as he fell asleep.
"Miss, your boyfriend’s a really sound sleeper!"
Once they were on the highway, the taxi driver struck up a conversation out of habit.
Chen Yansen and Song Yuncheng had been speaking quietly earlier, so the driver hadn’t heard them clearly, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked.
"Sir, you’ve misunderstood. He’s not my boyfriend," Song Yuncheng hurriedly denied.
"If he’s not your boyfriend, then what is he?" The driver was a chatty fellow and pressed on with a smile. He assumed Song Yuncheng was just being shy and decided to tease her.
"He’s... he’s my boss," Song Yuncheng said, telling the truth.
’Boss?’
The driver heard this unexpected answer, mulled it over for a moment, and then fell silent. ’She came up with such a ridiculous excuse just to avoid talking. If I keep pushing, I’d just be clueless.’
A little over an hour later, at exactly 8:28 PM, they arrived two minutes ahead of Chen Yansen’s deadline.
Chen Yansen paid the fare and headed for the entrance first.
Song Yuncheng scurried after him, dragging the large suitcase and carrying her bag.
"Get your ID out. We’re checking in at D70 first."
After they passed the first security checkpoint, Chen Yansen explained the boarding process to her.
After bustling about for over half an hour, the two got their boarding passes and sat down in the D70 waiting area.
"First time flying?"
Chen Yansen suddenly asked, seeing her anxious expression.
"Yeah." Song Yuncheng kept her head down, lost in thought.
"In that case, I’ll recommend a movie for you. I guarantee you won’t be nervous on the plane." Chen Yansen’s eyes glinted. Suppressing a laugh, he pulled his phone from his pocket, fiddled with it for a moment, and handed it to Song Yuncheng.
’A movie?’
Song Yuncheng looked puzzled. She was indeed a little panicked, feeling a distinct lack of safety at the thought of flying ten thousand meters up in the air.
Without thinking too much about it, she took Chen Yansen’s phone and started watching the screen intently.
As she watched, she began to feel that something was off. It wasn’t until the plane in the movie suddenly exploded, making her jump, that she realized Chen Yansen had no good intentions.
However, the 10-year-old film was full of gimmicks and suspense. Even though she was scared, Song Yuncheng insisted on watching it to the end.
"Now I’m even more scared to fly."
Song Yuncheng handed the phone back to Chen Yansen, sighed deeply, and said timidly.
"I had you watch *Final Destination* to show you that the probability of a plane crash is extremely low. If it weren’t for the movies, you wouldn’t see one in three to five years."
Chen Yansen spouted nonsense with a completely straight face.
"I think you’re just doing this to mess with me on purpose." Song Yuncheng didn’t believe his explanation at all. She wanted to touch her brick for a sense of security, but then remembered she’d had to check her backpack because of it.
"Dear passengers, boarding for Boeing flight HU7730 to Shencheng Anbao Airport will begin shortly. Please have your boarding passes ready!"
The announcement came over the PA system.
Chen Yansen patted Song Yuncheng, signaling for her to get in line to have her ticket checked. The late-night flight wasn’t crowded. A few minutes later, they walked across the jet bridge and found their seats.
Their seats were in the first row of economy class. There were no foldable tray tables, but fortunately, the space in front was wide enough for them to stretch their legs.
Song Yuncheng sat in the window seat. She glanced quickly out the window before whipping her head back around and taking deep, continuous breaths.
Moments later, the plane began to taxi and take off, a tremendous roar filling her ears.
The familiar sound immediately reminded Song Yuncheng of the scene from the movie. Although her feet were firmly on the floor, she felt a sensation of floating. In her panic, as if grasping at a life-saving straw, she tightly gripped Chen Yansen’s hand.
"Are you taking advantage of me?"
Chen Yansen frowned, feigning displeasure.
"Let me hold on, or I’ll be too scared." Song Yuncheng’s lips had turned pale. Her heart was full of regret. ’The movie was good, but I really shouldn’t have watched it.’
Right now, her mind was filled with images of the plane exploding, and the plot of the movie where the main characters were targeted by Death and died one by one.
"You’ll get used to it after a few more flights," Chen Yansen said casually, trying to comfort her.
Song Yuncheng was terrified. Without her familiar brick and the reassuring feeling of solid ground beneath her feet, she closed her eyes and held onto Chen Yansen’s hand for dear life.
"We still have two hours until we land. I’m going to take a nap."
A bright smile spread across Chen Yansen’s face. He wrapped an arm around Song Yuncheng’s head and pulled it directly into his embrace. Song Yuncheng was too frightened to resist.
’No matter how fierce a wildcat is, it’s still just a cat, not a Tiger.’
Chen Yansen thought to himself. Inhaling the faint, pleasant scent from her, he drifted off to sleep again.
’Chen Yansen, you can sleep more than a pig.’
Song Yuncheng lay in Chen Yansen’s arms, her thoughts racing. She thought of her hometown, of her brother, but the BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP of a heartbeat in her ear pulled her back to reality.
Chen Yansen’s scent was like the cypress wood from her hometown—fresh with a hint of spice, followed by a warm, woody aroma that calmed the spirit.
Before she knew it, Song Yuncheng had also fallen asleep, her breathing heavy with exhaustion.
When the flight attendant turned on the lights and came by pushing a meal cart, Chen Yansen opened his eyes. He saw Song Yuncheng with her mouth open, a puddle of drool on his chest.
Chen Yansen pulled out a tissue, wiped it clean, and then shook her awake.
"Huh? Why is your shirt wet?" Song Yuncheng looked up at her handiwork and asked instinctively.
"Wipe the drool off your mouth first before you say anything else," Chen Yansen said with a look of disgust, handing her a napkin.
"Uh... I’m sorry, Boss." Song Yuncheng wiped her mouth, her face flushing red to the tips of her ears. She was so embarrassed she could have dug a hole and crawled into it.
Chen Yansen ignored her. He asked the flight attendant who had stopped nearby for two simple meals and tossed one to Song Yuncheng.
"Tomorrow, we’re meeting with the head of Penguin’s compliance department. When we get to the hotel tonight, get the promotional materials for FoxTao ready. Also, think about what you should say tomorrow in your capacity as the chairman’s assistant."
’Now I have another title? Chairman’s assistant?’
Song Yuncheng nodded with a wry smile, her two pretty eyebrows knitting together tightly. Clearly, Chen Yansen’s demand was putting a lot of pressure on her.
At 12:55 AM, the plane landed.
Chen Yansen stood at the baggage claim, a puzzled look on his face. "You only have one backpack, why did you need to check it? Don’t tell me you have a brick in there?"
"Ah?! No, no, it’s my first time flying, I didn’t really know the rules."
Having been hit right on the mark, Song Yuncheng felt a pang of guilt. She gave a hollow laugh and quickly denied it.
By the time the two took a taxi to the hotel, it was already 1:30 in the morning.
The hotel’s glittering facade, the azure outdoor swimming pool, and the lavish lobby decor stunned Song Yuncheng. She stopped in her tracks and hesitated, "President Chen, maybe we should switch hotels? This one looks really expensive."
"It’s not your money. Stop worrying for nothing."
Chen Yansen reached out, took her ID, and quickly completed the check-in process.
It wasn’t until they took the elevator to the top floor and entered the room that Song Yuncheng discovered there was only one large bed.
A few risqué scenarios flashed through her mind, and she stared blankly at Chen Yansen.
"What are you looking at me for? You’re sleeping on the couch!"
"Oh, and remember to get those materials ready."
Chen Yansen dragged his suitcase into the bedroom. It was a luxury suite; even the sofa was bigger than the beds at Xucheng Academy.
"Boss, can I organize the materials tomorrow? It’s already 1:30 AM," Song Yuncheng tried to negotiate.
"If anyone else had said that, I would’ve fired them on the spot," Chen Yansen replied with a grin just before closing the door.
"Boss, I’ll get it done right away."
Song Yuncheng flinched in fright. She quickly took out her laptop and got to work, silently cursing Chen Yansen in her head.
She knew his personality well. Even if he wouldn’t actually fire her, he would definitely dock her pay.
The next day, Song Yuncheng was completely drained. She followed behind Chen Yansen with her laptop and files, a miserable look on her face.
"Smile! Or I’ll dock your pay!"
Chen Yansen turned around and warned her fiercely.
"Okay, I’m smiling!" Song Yuncheng pressed her lips together and forced a smile, while inwardly, she was complaining like crazy.
Chen Yansen’s meeting was scheduled for 10:00 AM. However, before going to Penguin, they had to make a detour. He glanced at Song Yuncheng and shook his head slightly.