Descent from an altitude of 10,000 meters (The Approach)Ch26 - Shanghai

In the past few days, Chen Jiayu had been flying to Shanghai. As soon as he landed at Pudong, the ground crew noticed a minor issue with the fueling connection valve during the refueling process. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t fix it completely, resulting in a fuel leak and a delay of nearly two hours. When the ground crew informed Chen Jiayu, he broke out in a cold sweat, memories of the fuel incident at Jakarta Airport three years ago flooding back.

The co-pilot flying with him seemed inexperienced or perhaps concerned about accumulating enough duty hours. He wanted to apply to the company to continue flying. This infuriated Chen Jiayu. He immediately retorted, “Do you want another Flight 416 incident? It’s too risky to discover issues mid-air! And I’ve already exhausted my quota for dual-engine failures in this lifetime. I don’t want to experience it again.” td6cfQ

The co-pilot was left speechless. Later, feeling somewhat guilty, Chen Jiayu contacted Wang Xiang, the company’s scheduling administrator, with whom he had a good rapport. Wang informed him of a crew shortage for a flight departing from Pudong later that day. Chen Jiayu spoke up for the co-pilot, arranging for him to replace the missing crew while he stayed behind, waiting for another aircraft to continue the journey.

The flight ended up delayed for five hours. Chen Jiayu and the crew found themselves stranded at Pudong Airport. Making the best of the situation, Chen Jiayu messaged Lu Yan to see if she wanted to grab a meal.

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Lu Yan happened to be off duty that day. Living near the airport, she decided to drive over and meet Chen Jiayu. In the past two months, Chen Jiayu had flown to Shanghai twice, but with brief layovers on the same aircraft. He rarely stayed overnight elsewhere, specifically applying for short-haul flights for this reason. As a result, he hadn’t had the chance to sit down and chat with Lu Yan, who was based in Shanghai.

When she sat down, she teased, “Look, you’re the only one who asks me to drive to the airport on my day off.” lmWsHh

Chen Jiayu smiled, poured her some water, and said, “Haven’t seen you in a month. How’s everything with Brother Lei?”

“We’re not living together right now, but we’re looking for a place,” she replied.

After chatting briefly about her recent move to Shanghai, Lu Yan turned to Chen Jiayu and asked, “How about you? How’s it going lately? And how’s Daxing Airport?”

Chen Jiayu avoided the first question and said, “I heard that after you left, the air traffic control at Daxing Airport has been working overtime.”

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Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh, so Young Master Chen knows about the pressure and intensity of air traffic control now,” she quipped. “After I left, one of the senior controllers went on maternity leave. It’s been hectic lately. But how did you know?”

Chen Jiayu took a deep breath and decided to confide, “Well, for starters, Zheng Xiaoxu and Xiao Chu are an item now. You could say they’re dating or developing a relationship. And Fang Hao and I are relatively familiar, so I’ve heard it from both of them.”

The sudden influx of information overwhelmed Lu Yan, and she quickly lit a cigarette to steady herself. “Looks like you guys have been handling things well since I left. It seems like everything’s been sorted out internally,” she remarked, referring to Zheng Xiaoxu and Chu Yirou, never expecting Chen Jiayu and Fang Hao to be involved.

Catching her hint, Chen Jiayu didn’t beat around the bush: “Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. I thought about messaging you on WeChat, but I decided to wait until I saw you in person.” RgdXJs

Lu Yan took a long drag on her cigarette and thought he was probing for details about Zheng Xiaoxu and Chu Yirou, so she hmphed and nodded for Chen Jiayu to continue.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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Surprised by the question, she soon calmed down and thought about the situation. “Actually, you should ask him yourself.” d4zviK

Chen Jiayu remained silent. His hairstyle appeared disheveled, not as neat as usual, probably due to the long delay. His hair fell slightly over his forehead, giving him a gentler look compared to his usual sharp appearance.

Lu Yan had known him for a long time, so when he didn’t speak, she knew she was probably right. “Don’t use excuses like ‘I’m asking for someone else.’ If it was for someone else, you could’ve asked Fang Hao directly. How many times have you come to me for his big and small matters? Coming all this way to ask me—it’s almost as if you’ve taken a liking to him.”

With a furrowed brow, Chen Jiayu set the record straight. “Actually, I wasn’t about to ask that initially. I just wanted to have lunch with you, cultivating a good relationship.”

Lu Yan smiled and sighed, “I didn’t expect this, Jiayu, but I should have. It’s a pity Fang Hao hasn’t dated anyone in the industry. Over the years, many have tried, but he hasn’t accepted any of them.” K3cHRi

Chen Jiayu simply nodded, showing little reaction. He was consistently poker-faced in situations like this, making it difficult for others to read him.

Lu Yan flicked the ash off her cigarette, took a sip of her drink, and grinned at him. “You should ask him directly. Whatever answer you get from me, you’ll eventually have to face him about it.”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

When Chen Jiayu heard this, he didn’t deny it. “He doesn’t necessarily have to know.”

Finding his behavior somewhat unusual, Lu Yan tilted her head but did not answer. QE0 yN

Chen Jiayu knew what she was thinking and highlighted the key points, recounting the incident about the landing light being left off and the subsequent conflict with Fang Hao. By the end, Lu Yan couldn’t stand it anymore and said, “Why are you so indecisive? If you want to know something, just ask him directly.”

Moistening his throat with a sip of water, Chen Jiayu said, “It’s not that simple. Between us, it seems like we’re not on the same page.” Ultimately, a cutting remark from Fang Hao had deeply wounded him. He felt it was because he cared too much about Fang Hao’s opinion, to the extent that the remark felt like a complete denial of his character. Despite Fang Hao’s later sincere efforts to apologize for his tactlessness, Chen Jiayu couldn’t shake off the hurt.

Lu Yan was stunned by his explanation but couldn’t agree. “So, you’re just leaving him hanging? What’s your plan then?”

“I do plan to address the issue, but after weighing everything, I don’t think I can win or feel optimistic about my chances of success,” he confided. loctYD

Lu Yan chuckled softly. She understood why Chen Jiayu was acting out of character. Having known him since their student days, she knew he always took the initiative and never hesitated to invest time, money, or effort into relationships. Thus, his current attitude of distancing himself, clearly expressing his feelings yet choosing to watch from afar, was really unlike him.

After a brief pause, Lu Yan said, “I always feel like love isn’t about winning or losing. Before, you always liked to win. You won with Liang Yinan; he wasn’t initially interested in you, but you got him in the end. Same with Yan Yu. But you can’t always win, or have this mindset.” Liang Yinan was Chen Jiayu’s ex-boyfriend from university. They broke up after graduation, and Liang Yinan later pursued a career with an airline.

Since it was ancient history, nobody had mentioned that name to Chen Jiayu for years. Lu Yan had never been so candid with him before, usually keeping her thoughts to herself. But seeing her friend’s confusion and known for her sincerity, she decided to lay it all out. “Fang Hao is a principled person, but everyone’s principles have limits. I don’t know where his boundaries lie.”

She wanted to add, “or how much he likes you,” but since she but hadn’t seen their interactions, she didn’t want to jump to conclusions and stopped there. kaQ0H5

Chen Jiayu hesitated for a few seconds, neither confirming nor denying, and said, “You’re an expert in emotions. Is there any direction you can’t guess?” Lu Yan was indeed the go-to person among their circle for emotional guidance. Chen Jiayu thought she had known him for over a decade and Fang Hao for three years; predicting their compatibility shouldn’t be difficult. Isn’t it just like one plus one equals two?

Still, Lu Yan insisted, “If there are genuine feelings, they need to be communicated—you have to talk it out yourself.”

Chen Jiayu nodded thoughtfully, taking it all in. “You mentioned Yan Yu earlier.” During their gathering at Xiangyuan, they had briefly touched upon this subject, but hadn’t delved into it.

Lu Yan nodded, “If you have something to say, just say it. When you and Yan Yu broke up, there were all sorts of rumors.” lpi3IH

“Oh?” Chen Jiayu became interested. “What kind of rumors?”

“Well,” Lu Yan leaned in, “there were whispers of infidelity, talk of her considering resignation due to conflicts with you, but the most credible was her desire for marriage, which you weren’t ready for.”

Rumors spread like wildfire, and while Chen Jiayu and Yan Yu hadn’t flaunted their relationship, people in their circle generally knew they had been together. Chen Jiayu knew he hadn’t disclosed the real reasons behind their breakup to anyone, so he understood the rumors either originated from falsehoods or perhaps from Yan Yu herself.

“Interesting. The last one is closest to the truth, but it’s not the whole story,” he admitted. n5oOb

Lu Yan leaned in further, intrigued. “How so?”

Chen Jiayu slowly recalled the events nearly three years ago. His relationship with Yan Yu had hit a rough patch at that time. However, being sentimental by nature, he convinced himself to overlook their relationship flaws and continue on autopilot. Both led busy lives—one was a pilot, the other a flight attendant, which meant irregular schedules. The time spent apart far outweighed their time together, making it easier to maintain a facade of routine rather than confront the truth.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

This mundane pattern persisted until the day he experienced that dangerous emergency landing at Hong Kong airport, flying from Jakarta to Shanghai. As the captain and pilot in command, all his energy was focused on ensuring the flight’s safety. He didn’t think about leaving behind a farewell note or who would care for his parents if he died in the accident. However, when the massive aircraft finally came to a stop at the runway’s end, he thought of his parents, his friends, and the second chance at life he’d been given. Yet, he realized he hadn’t thought of Yan Yu.

After the emergency landing in Hong Kong, he grappled with fear, insecurity, and self-doubt. He sought solace and companionship, and Yan Yu happened to be by his side, so he didn’t have the heart to consider breaking up with her at that time. The real turning point came three months later on New Year’s Eve. After flying the last flight of the day and driving home, he sat in the car, delaying going upstairs to see Yan Yu. Instead, he lingered in the car, watching the night sky and listening to fireworks until midnight, relishing in the moment of tranquility and peace. It was then he realized he had a choice, not just to go upstairs but to choose a different path, —a different life, a life beyond the confines of this routine. j6lGUu

He understood that Yan Yu needed someone who would hold her dear and treasure her like a rare gem. She believed Chen Jiayu was that person, and he initially thought the same, willing to give, but he realized he couldn’t fulfill that role anymore. He, too, grew weary and tired. Sometimes, on occasion, he longed to be cherished as well. It then dawned on him that he was no longer in love with Yan Yu.

So, when Yan Yu broached the topic of marriage again, Chen Jiayu finally confessed his desire to end the relationship. Interestingly, it wasn’t entirely unexpected for Yan Yu. In intimate relationships, both parties often sense when things aren’t quite right. However, she couldn’t fathom why Chen Jiayu suddenly fell out of love when everything seemed fine. He didn’t have the heart to spell it out clearly because he didn’t want to blame her for their relationship’s flaws. To this day, Chen Jiayu suspects that Yan Yu believes their breakup stemmed from her supposed lack of support after the Hong Kong incident. While there’s some truth to that, the crux of the matter lies elsewhere.

After they broke up, Yan Yu repeatedly sought him out, thinking he remained single because Chen Jiayu still harbored feelings for her and believed they had a chance to reconcile.

Lu Yan listened carefully and then suddenly asked, “Yeah, why have you remained single all these years? You’ve long moved on from Yan Yu, haven’t you?” CPkNKF

“Yeah, I made peace with her a long time ago. Since then, I just haven’t met the right person. Plus, there have been a lot of family matters,” he replied, not having a straightforward answer because he hadn’t considered this question himself.

As Chen Jiayu received a maintenance call informing him that the plane was ready, he felt somewhat unsatisfied. Despite taking in everything Lu Yan had said, including her mentioning that Fang Hao didn’t date within their circle, he thought, ‘You still have to give things a try to know for sure.’ If the Hong Kong incident had taught him anything, it wasn’t just about flying skills or capabilities but a stubborn determination to challenge fate. He was someone who dared to challenge fate head-on. He just needed an opportunity.

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Translator notes: 3rd chapter! I’m proud of myself. 🎉😅 Alright, it’s moving forward!

This chapter was bit difficult to translate with all the dialogues. The tones are important. XD o2cK3X

Why do I feel like Chen Jiayu’s & Fang Hao’s inner dialogues are bit self sabotaging?

Also…  I need to find out how or what’s the rule for posting R-rated chapters when the smut happens…

 

Fun fact! There’s actually no Italian restaurant in Daxing Airport, at least none I could find on travel or airport websites, BUT they do have a coffee place called “Costa Coffee”. 😀 wsMxKz