In the following week, Chen Jiayu and Fang Hao encountered each other several times in the air channel. Each meeting was peaceful and uneventful. It appeared that they were able to avoid the busy peak hours, and whenever Fang Hao was needed, his presence was promptly approved.
However, things took a turn on Friday night as rain started to fall. Weather conditions have a significant impact on civil aviation, affecting both pilots and air traffic controllers. Whenever there’s a hint of weather changes, their workload instantly doubles.
However, this situation didn’t faze Fang Hao. He commanded with familiarity and ease, taking care of various flights, issuing reminders about the weather and fuel levels. In short, he called the shots, and everyone responded promptly.
Fang Hao radioed Chen Jiayu’s team after the plane ahead of them, “Air China 1560, Beijing Approach, radar in sight. Maintain altitude 4500, set speed at 350. Expect… blind landing on runway 17R.”
Holding the radio, Chen Jiayu said, “Hey. Good evening, Beijing Approach. Can we request runway 17L? That’s runway 17L, Air China 1560.”
Despite the minor wording difference between 17-Left and 17-Right, they are essentially two different runways running north, quite a distance apart. Landing on 17R would mean a lengthy 25-minute taxi to reach the parking area. Considering he had landed on 17R for the past three times, he thought, why not give it a try? However, as he made the request, he was already prepared for a possible rejection. Despite the current low aircraft traffic, the weather wasn’t favorable, and adhering to standard procedures was the simplest for both Approach and the Control Tower.
Fang Hao took a glance and responded, “Air China 1560… just a moment.” Chen Jiayu wondered if there might be a chance.
A second later, Fang Hao radioed the aircraft ahead, “Southern 3788, how’s the ground looking?”
The Southern captain replied, “There’s some standing water on the runway, but overall conditions are acceptable. It’s safe to land.”
Fang Hao turned back to Chen Jiayu, “Air China 1560, 17L has some water and a slight tailwind. Wind direction 160, speed 5 meters per second. What’s your decision?”
Considering the conditions were indeed on the critical threshold for landing approval, Chen Jiayu, without hesitation, answered, “Confirm acceptance. Air China 1560.”
—
Chen Jiayu landed his flight on the nearest runway without waiting in line. He was in a good mood, and when he heard Fang Hao say, “Terminating radar services,” as he handed him over to the Tower, Chen Jiayu couldn’t resist making a playful remark, “Received, Air China 1560. Thanks, General Fang.”
Fang Hao picked up the microphone and replied, “Air China 1560…” He seemed a bit uncertain about how to react and added, “Unless it’s urgent, please don’t occupy the frequency.” His tone started out serious but ended with a hint of a smile.
Chen Jiayu responded promptly, “No problem, just wanted to express my appreciation for your work, Air China 1560.”
Fang Hao pressed the switch, not quite sure what to say, and fell silent once more.
The other captains who were still on the frequency were probably enjoying a good laugh at the exchange. Banter over the radio was not uncommon, especially when communicating with female controllers who had pleasant voices. However, Chen Jiayu was likely the first to be daring enough to engage Fang Hao in such a conversation.
Finally, Fang Hao could only say, “You’re welcome; it’s my duty.”
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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Unbeknownst to Fang Hao, upstairs in the Tower, Chu Yirou chimed in on the tower frequency, addressing Chen Jiayu and their crew, “Air China 1560, you people… aren’t you taxiing a bit too slowly? Please pick up the pace.”
Chen Jiayu responded, “Tower, there’s standing water on the ground. We’re doing our best.”
One of the captains, who sounded like he was from Eastern Airlines, couldn’t resist a quip, “Chinese Royal Airlines, eh?” It was an old joke; Air China was the country’s flagship carrier and often enjoyed access to some of the best routes, leading to occasional jesting among pilots.
A Southern Airlines pilot humorously added, “Brother Jia, you deserve this special treatment.”
In an unprecedented move, Fang Hao joined in, “Landing smoothly on a runway with standing water and a tailwind is considered good treatment, huh?” Then he got serious, “Eastern 570, aren’t you running low on fuel? Runway 17L is experiencing gusty winds. If you can’t land safely, you’ll have to go around. Check your fuel.”
The Eastern Airlines captain quickly responded, “No, no. Beijing, confirm I’m still approaching the runway. Eastern 570.”
Fang Hao confirmed, “Roger that, Eastern 570.”
He didn’t pay too much attention to the light banter; as long as the procedures weren’t being violated, he didn’t mind a bit of friendly teasing. But all along, was he the only one who cared about Chen Jiayu getting special treatment?
—
After finishing work, Fang Hao took out his phone and discovered three WeChat messages waiting for him.
One was from Chu Yirou, suggesting they go for skewers at a place near the airport after work. Since they were on the same shift, their schedules aligned perfectly. Fang Hao was feeling quite hungry, and replied with an “Ok.”
The second message was from Gu Chun, discussing plans for dinner on Saturday night. Gu Chun had sent Fang Hao three restaurants to choose from. Fang Hao found himself in a bit of a dilemma. Usually, he didn’t mind having plans arranged for him, and if someone was willing to put in the effort, it saved him the trouble. However, they had only met once, and when he had agreed to dinner, it wasn’t necessarily a date. He wondered if Gu Chun had misunderstood something.
As he scrolled further up, he was surprised to find the last message was from Chen Jiayu, and it included a picture.
Fang Hao couldn’t resist and opened the message. It read, “Thanks for today.”
Below the message was a picture. Shortly after the Air China flight had landed, the rain had stopped, and the skies cleared, bathing Daxing Airport in a breathtaking sunset. The photo was taken from the cockpit, giving it a unique view, with the runway visible just beyond the apron.
As if that weren’t enough, Chen Jiayu added another message underneath: “The view from runway 17L is truly spectacular.”
Fang Hao now understood his intention and quickly replied, “Someone in the back was teasing you as ‘Chinese Royal Airlines.'”
Chen Jiayu asked, “Who was it?”
Fang Hao responded, “No callsign, can’t remember.”
Of course, he remembered it was the captain of Eastern 570, but he pretended not to, just to avoid stirring up any trouble.
Chen Jiayu suggested, “Next time, I’ll give you runway 17L, and I’ll treat you to coffee.”
Fang Hao chuckled inwardly, thinking that Chen Jiayu must have been waiting for this opportunity. Was he feeling unwell without receiving special treatment? But this time, Fang Hao didn’t feel any annoyance towards him. He simply replied, “What about today?”
Chen Jiayu was eager, “Are you off work now? I’m ready to treat you.”
Five minutes later, Fang Hao arrived at Koza and waved, “Brother Jia.”
Chen Jiayu was already placing an order. Keeping his promise, he asked, “What would you like to drink? Cold brew?” He took out Koza’s membership card. Koza was a coffee shop near the airport known for making the best coffee, according to the experience of air traffic controllers, cabin crew, and pilots who often frequent this place.
Fang Hao was a bit surprised, “How did you know I prefer cold brew?” He was impressed by Chen Jiayu’s accurate guess. However, Fang Hao was about to wrap up his shift and didn’t need caffeine to keep him alert. He stood in front of the menu, taking his time to choose, and finally settled on a floral decaf matcha latte. After making his choice, he jokingly said, “I’ll go for the most expensive one, just to mess with you.” In reality, the price difference was only between twenty and twenty-five yuan, but he knew Chen Jiayu didn’t mind the cost, so he said it with confidence.
“Feel free to choose. I’d feel guilty if it were any cheaper,” Chen Jiayu responded, adding, “How about some French pastries?”
Fang Hao shook his head, declined the pastries, and asked, “Is runway 17L really that special? Whether you taxi for twenty-five minutes from 17R and go home or taxi for fifteen minutes from 17L and take ten minutes to settle, it’s the same, isn’t it?” He playfully did some quick calculations for Chen Jiayu.
Chen Jiayu couldn’t help but retort, “I certainly didn’t take fifteen minutes to taxi just now.” But deep down, he couldn’t help but wonder if Fang Hao had ever taken advantage of anyone in his life.
Fang Hao continued, “You’re trying to pull a fast one on me, aren’t you? Yirou was complaining about how slowly you guys were taxiing.”
Chen Jiayu just grinned. Their conversation shifted to their recent work schedules, even though it wasn’t particularly important. Nevertheless, before they knew it, more than ten minutes had effortlessly passed by.
When Chu Yirou finished her shift in the tower and went downstairs, she looked around but couldn’t find Fang Hao. However, she received a WeChat message from him saying they would meet at Koza. She made her way to Koza and saw Fang Hao and Chen Jiayu talking by the black bar counter inside. Fang Hao was clad in his air traffic controller uniform, layered with a gray woolen sweater, and wore black dress pants. Chen Jiayu, on the other hand, was in his pilot uniform, with a black coat that made him stand out. Koza had an open-air island design, and the two of them were standing right in the middle of the walkway, drawing the attention of many passersby, especially the ladies.
Fang Hao was the first to spot Chu Yirou and greeted her, “Hey, over here.”
Chu Yirou was a bit surprised to see Chen Jiayu and greeted him with a friendly “Brother Jia” before turning to Fang Hao and saying, “I’ve been waiting for you for a while. I thought your boss had summoned you away.”
Fang Hao seemed to be in a good mood and playfully gestured towards Chen Jiayu with his chin, “Well, look who’s here with his four stripes on the shoulder. Does that count as a boss?”
Chen Jiayu replied lightly without missing a beat, “Oh, no, not at all. When we’re up in the air, both of you are my bosses.”
Fang Hao laughed but didn’t say anything in reply.
Chen Jiayu asked, “Are you guys heading out for dinner?”
Chu Yirou felt a bit self-conscious. Chen Jiayu was tall, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. Even after spending over ten hours outside, he still managed to maintain his hairstyle. His large eyes, double eyelids, and prominent nose bridge added to his undeniable handsomeness. Being stared at so closely by Chen Jiayu made her blush.
Still, Chu Yirou extended an invitation, taking into consideration that they had all eaten together before, “Um, Brother Jia, would you like to join us?”
Chen Jiayu glanced at his watch. He wanted to accept the offer, but he knew it was a polite gesture. Besides, he had to go to the hospital to visit his mother later, so he replied, “I’ve already eaten in Shenzhen earlier. I have something to attend to today, so I’ll have to pass. Next time, it’s my treat, okay?”
Chu Yirou nodded, and Fang Hao also bid him farewell.
As Chen Jiayu walked away, Chu Yirou muttered under her breath, “You two seem to be getting along well.”
Fang Hao took a sip of his matcha latte and replied, “It takes a fight for people to get to know each other well.”
Chu Yirou couldn’t help but complain, “I can’t believe I had to act stern to him today. You didn’t see it, but he was taxiing at a snail pace with his co-pilot.”
Fang Hao chuckled, “Waist won't hurt when you stand and talk.
Translator’s note: Hello everyone! I didn’t manage to update last week since I’ve been feeling under the weather. There will be two updates this week. This is the first one, and the next chapter will be posted during the weekend. 🙂 Enjoy!
I hope you feel better soon!
Thank you for the update!
Thank you! I’m much better now. :).
Thank You for the new chapter ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ) Wishing You a lot of health and wellbeing! ❤
Thank you! ♥ hope you’ll enjoy the new chapter. 🙂
“It takes a fight for people to get to know each other well” wise words!
Fang Hao actually used an idiom. There were several ways to translate it, but I think this one fits quite well. 😀