Chapter 1
In the spacious and brightly lit first-class cabin, a woman sat by the window. Her slender, fair fingers occasionally turned the pages of the magazine in her hands, every gesture exuding an elegance that seemed to emanate from her very bones.
Golden sunlight fell upon her jet-black hair, casting a subtle shimmer. Her understated makeup accentuated the delicacy of her features, while her amber eyes radiated an inexplicable coldness and pride. Paired with her crimson lips, she projected an aura of untouchable distance.
The first-class cabin was typically as quiet as a deserted street; including her, there were only two passengers. The other was an executive over sixty years old, currently reclining in his chair with his eyes closed, resting.
Before the plane had even taken off, a faint commotion reached her ears, mixed with hushed conversations. Though indistinct, Lin Zhi managed to catch a few words…
Show,” “So handsome.
Lin Zhi furrowed her brows slightly and pressed the call button. Within moments, an elegant flight attendant appeared by her side.
“President Lin, is there anything I can assist you with?”
Lin Zhi did not look up. Her fingers, coated in protective nail oil, tapped a steady rhythm against the magazine page—once, then again—radiating an aura of innate authority.
“What’s happening back there?”
The flight attendant faltered for a moment before quickly restoring her professional smile. “A few artists are returning from filming overseas,” she replied softly. “It seems the presence of Gu Yi and Yu Shu has made the passengers somewhat overexcited.”
Hearing the unexpected name, Lin Zhi’s hand froze mid-motion, her amber eyes flashing with an unusual light.
Just as the flight attendant thought Lin Zhi would remain silent, she calmly turned another page of her magazine, her thin lips parting slightly…
.
Gu Yi sat by the window; the somewhat chaotic noise surrounding him left his mind unsettled.
Although he had already greeted the fans who happened to be on board, they seemed far from pacified. Their lingering glances and barely restrained whispers… Thinking about the flight that was about to take off, Gu Yi felt an uncontrollable surge of irritation.
“Gu Yi, are you okay? You don’t look too well,” asked Wei Yuxuan, sitting beside him.
“I’m fine,” Gu Yi replied with a sideways glance. His expression appeared calm, yet the tight press of his lips betrayed his true emotions.
“As expected of you; half the passengers in this business class cabin seem to be your fans.”
This was, of course, said in jest. Wei Yuxuan was a straightforward person, and after spending this period recording a show together with Gu Yi, their relationship had become quite amicable, allowing for such playful banter.
Gu Yi didn’t respond to his words; he simply turned his gaze toward the window.
Seeing this, Wei Yuxuan felt no annoyance. He knew that was just Gu Yi’s temperament, and besides, the man’s status in the industry far surpassed his own. How would he dare to harbor any resentment?
At only twenty-four years old, Gu Yi had already reached a pinnacle that most in the circle could only dream of attaining.
He made his debut at eighteen, instantly catapulting to fame with an original album—a true overnight sensation. In the six years that followed, the lead single from each of Gu Yi’s albums consistently dominated the top three spots on major music platform charts. To date, he has garnered numerous awards at music galas, cementing his reputation as an undisputed powerhouse vocalist.
It would be one thing if he were merely outstanding, but he happens to be devastatingly handsome as well; he could carve out an empire in this industry relying on his face alone.
Thinking of this, Wei Yuxuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
As the plane was about to depart, the cabin grew slightly quieter, yet Gu Yi’s expression darkened with each passing second.
He suffered from airsickness, a fact known only to a select few. However, given the nature of his profession, constant travel by air was unavoidable. Thus, whenever booking flights, his assistant always secured first-class tickets for him; sitting toward the front of the aircraft made the ordeal somewhat more bearable.
When the show was initially recorded, he had to fly there separately due to a scheduling conflict, but the return flight was booked uniformly by the production team.
The person who booked the tickets clearly didn’t know about his airsickness; besides, what difference would it have made even if they did?
To some people, airsickness is nothing more than a trivial ‘stress reaction.’ Had he used it as an excuse to demand an upgrade from the production team, so-called ‘insiders’ would immediately leak stories online accusing him of ‘throwing his weight around’ or ‘refusing to fly anything less than first class.’ Although Gu Yi wasn’t afraid of such rumors, he had no desire to invite unnecessary trouble.
The man closed his eyes, forcing himself to fall asleep as soon as possible.
The flight would take a total of six hours, and he had no extra energy to waste on anything else.
Just then, a flight attendant approached from afar and came to a stop beside Wei Yuxuan.
“Excuse me, I don’t believe I pressed the service button,” Wei Yuxuan said, staring blankly at the strikingly beautiful attendant before him, a flicker of confusion rising in his heart…
Had this flight attendant been in the business class cabin just moments ago?
“Apologies, I’m here for Mr. Gu Yi,” the flight attendant said with a smile, her gentle tone easing any discomfort Wei Yuxuan might have felt from the misunderstanding.
Gu Yi had only just closed his eyes moments ago and naturally wasn’t asleep yet. Upon hearing his name, he slightly lifted his eyelids, a hint of coolness in his brows. “What is it?”
“It’s like this: one of your fans has already upgraded you to first class. You may now accompany me to the first-class cabin for this flight.”
“First class?!” Wei Yuxuan couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, prompting even Yu Shu, seated in the row ahead, to turn around.
Gu Yi furrowed his brows and coldly refused, “I’m sorry, please decline that fan’s request on my behalf.”
“I apologize, Mr. Gu, but the other party has already paid for your flight on this route. Under normal circumstances, refunds are not permitted, so…” The flight attendant recalled Director Lin’s instructions, and a hint of difficulty showed on her face.
“Since it’s a gesture from a fan, you might as well go ahead!” Wei Yuxuan chimed in with a wink from the side. Though somewhat envious, he was even more astonished!
As far as he knew, a business class seat on this flight alone cost around ten thousand yuan, while the price of a first-class ticket soared close to one hundred thousand.
Gu Yi’s fans are incredibly wealthy… Upgrading to first class on a whim, spending tens of thousands without a second thought, not even asking questions. Aren’t they worried this money might be wasted?
Yu Shu’s gaze held a complex expression, but she quickly regained her composure and smiled. “Gu Yi, since the money has already been spent, we can’t let our fans’ kindness go to waste, can we? If you feel guilty about it, you can always transfer the amount back to them later.”
The furrow between Gu Yi’s brows hadn’t smoothed out. Thinking about his susceptibility to air sickness, he decided not to dwell on it further. He gave a slight nod to the flight attendant and then walked toward the first-class cabin, under the watchful eyes of most passengers onboard.
Only after Gu Yi’s figure disappeared from sight did Wei Yuxuan finally speak up again, unable to hold back. “Gu Yi’s fans are absolutely amazing! I wish I could have fans like that someday! Hahahaha!”
Yu Shu turned her head back, a sarcastic curl playing on the corner of her lips.
Heh, how could these be genuine fans? This was likely just a tactic employed by some capitalist extending an olive branch. Judging by the flight attendant’s demeanor, someone had clearly issued forceful instructions; ordinary fans would never be capable of such actions.
Wei Yuxuan might be simple-minded, but she was no fool.
As expected… no one in this circle remains truly clean.
.
In the hallway, Gu Yi followed behind the flight attendant and asked, “Could you please tell me the identity of that fan? I need to transfer the money to him.”
“I’m sorry, but our company has regulations prohibiting us from disclosing passenger information arbitrarily.”
It was an extremely official response, yet Gu Yi knew she was simply stalling.
His expression grew even colder. He had no idea whether that so-called ‘fan’ was genuine or fake. In full view of everyone, they had insistently bestowed a favor upon him, yet refused to reveal their identity. They asked for neither a photo nor an autograph. If that was the case, what could their motive possibly be?
“Mr. Gu, your seat is here.” The flight attendant came to a halt at the very front of the cabin. The first-class section appeared unusually deserted, and this particular spot was the most secluded of all.
“Mm.”
Gu Yi withdrew his gaze, showing no intention of probing further.
“The plane is about to take off; please fasten your seatbelt.”
He had no room for extra thoughts; after fastening his seatbelt, he simply signaled the flight attendant to leave.
First class was indeed far superior to business class—even the seat beneath him felt considerably more comfortable, an environment he was accustomed to.
Adjusting the seatback to its most suitable angle, Gu Yi closed his eyes. At that very moment, the captain’s voice echoed through the cabin…
.
The plane had officially taken off, but within just ten minutes, a familiar physical reaction caused the man’s complexion to turn markedly pale.
Nausea, dizziness, sickness.
And this was a sensation he would have to endure for a full six hours.
The man lay half-reclined in his chair, resting, unaware that just five or six meters behind him, the woman finally lifted her brow, her gaze shifting away from the magazine page it had been fixed upon for a full ten minutes…
It wasn’t even half an hour before Gu Yi heard footsteps again; when he opened his eyes, he saw once more the flight attendant who had arranged his upgrade.
“Mr. Gu, would you like some motion sickness medication?”
Gu Yi glanced at the water cup in the flight attendant’s hand and the medicine box in her other. A flicker of light passed through his half-lowered eyes, and when he spoke, his voice was slightly hoarse from discomfort.
“Was this also ordered by that ‘fan’?”
The flight attendant smiled without speaking, yet her silence already gave Gu Yi an affirmative answer.
A growing sense of doubt stirred within her, yet not a trace of it showed on her face. She simply accepted the medicine and water offered by the other party, swallowed two pills with practiced ease, left the glass behind, and returned the remaining medication.
She lay back down, but this time, Gu Yi did not close his eyes.
Complex emotions swirled in the depths of his gaze. Few people knew that he suffered from airsickness; apart from his family, only his assistant, Ah Tao, and his manager, He Biwen, were aware.
Yet clearly, the likelihood of either of them being involved was slim.
He had never made this public, so how could any so-called ‘fans’ possibly know?
Suddenly, a name flashed through his mind, and in an instant, his expression turned ice-cold—
Impossible. It absolutely couldn’t be her.
She had abandoned him seven years ago; why would she care whether he lived or died now?
How ridiculous.
……