Gu Chun invited Fang Hao to hang out at Destiny, but Fang ultimately declined. For one, Fang Shengjie was still staying with him, and he used the excuse of spending time with his younger brother to politely turn down Gu Chun’s invitation. He also felt a bit under the weather, likely due to recent stress and erratic sleep patterns, and wanted to take advantage of his time off to rest. Gu Chun, being perceptive, understood his hint and didn’t approach him again.
For once, Fang Hao slept in until he naturally woke up. But then, Fang Shengjie suddenly lifted his blanket and asked if they could invite Chen Jiayu over to play games with the Nintendo Switch Fang Hao had bought.
Feeling awkward, Fang Hao replied, “Let’s just forget about that. We… haven’t been getting along lately.”
Fang Shengjie was surprised. “What happened?”
Fang Hao didn’t want to explain the whole situation involving work, finding it too complicated. He simply said, “There was some conflict at work, and then we had an argument. Now… we’re just not talking much.”
“Are you mad at him?”
Fang Hao sighed. “He’s the one who’s mad at me.”
“Then why don’t you apologize? A real man knows when to concede,” Fang Shengjie advised.
Looking at his younger brother’s sincere face, Fang Hao shook his head and said, “I’ve tried, but it didn’t work.”
Fang Shengjie frowned. “That’s a shame. I quite like Brother Jiayu.”
Fang Hao thought to himself, Well, who doesn’t? Who doesn’t like Chen Jiayu? He’s well-rounded, has a good reputation, and naturally good-looking. There are plenty of rumors about him, but none of them are negative.
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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On Tuesday, the duty phone at the control tower rang, and Sun Yaoyang, a new air traffic controller, said someone claiming to be a captain was looking for Fang Hao. Could it be…? Fang Hao wondered. Was Chen Jiayu really considering the “talking another day” conversation? But why call the duty phone instead of using his direct contact? It didn’t seem like his style.
He hurried over and picked up the phone, only to find he had guessed wrong.
“Fang Hao, it’s been a while. Sorry for the delay. I’ve been busy with the fourth segment lately, gone for one or two weeks at a time. How about I treat you to lunch today?” The voice was young and lively, and Fang Hao recognized it immediately—Lang Feng, the Chinese captain of KLM, who still remembered the incident with the burst tire two months ago and wanted to treat him to a meal.
Glancing at his watch, Fang Hao agreed, “There’s no need for you to treat, but we can grab lunch together. How about Giovanni’s at 12:30?” Giovanni’s is a relatively upscale Italian restaurant within the airport terminal, known for excellent service and a good wine list. Fang Hao, being on duty and having a cold, couldn’t drink, but he thought Lang Feng might enjoy a glass of wine after his flight.
The restaurant was not far from the Koza coffee shop, with large floor-to-ceiling windows. Fang Hao settled in by the window, and soon after, Lang Feng arrived, giving him a warm hug before naturally taking the seat across from him.
Fang Hao hadn’t mentally prepared for this meeting, but he found himself surprisingly relaxed. After all, he didn’t owe Lang Feng anything. If Lang Feng had any hidden intentions, Fang Hao planned to politely decline. If possible, they could simply be friends, which seemed like the best outcome.
Lang Feng got straight to the point. Once seated, he ordered a steak and a glass of red wine, taking a casual sip before diving into conversation.
“I was really busy after our last encounter, and it took me over a month before I could come find you,” he said.
Fang Hao didn’t mind. “You’re too polite. And honestly, we didn’t do much to assist you back then. You handled everything in the air,” he paused briefly before continuing, “To be honest, we should thank you and your co-pilot for promptly responding to us with clear communication. Without that, we would have been even more frantic, and our stress levels would’ve been through the roof.”
Lang Feng flashed a smile. “I think… well, let’s just say we might have a bit of fate between us.”
That was ambiguous. Fang Hao raised his glass of water and took a sip, “Perhaps.”
Unfazed by Fang Hao’s noncommittal response, Lang Feng continued, “Actually, I was a bit surprised when I first saw you, but it wasn’t the right time back then. Since then, I’ve been looking for opportunities to ask you directly—are you single?”
Fang Hao was again surprised by Lang Feng’s directness. On reflection, he admired Lang Feng’s openness and honesty. Although Lang Feng had black hair, olive skin, and spoke Chinese fluently, he had grown up in Amsterdam and Frankfurt. In terms of thinking, he was very Western, generous with praise and gratitude, and would express his emotions directly. Lang Feng exuded a youthful, energetic, and outgoing aura. While Fang Hao appreciated him and acknowledged his handsome appearance, Lang Feng wasn’t his type. From the first time they met, Fang Hao hadn’t felt any romantic attraction. Besides, he had set a rule for himself not to date within the same circle.
Fang Hao pursed his lips and smiled, took another sip of water, and then said truthfully, “I am.”
Without missing a beat, Lang Feng asked, “Then, can I invite you out for a meal or to watch a movie?”
Faced with Lang Feng’s directness, Fang Hao could only give a straightforward answer. He said embarrassedly, “I’m sorry.” He had intended to say more, but Lang Feng’s forthrightness surpassed his ability to come up with comforting words in the moment.
Lang Feng snorted, a little disappointed, but quickly adjusted and joked, “This is probably the fastest rejection I’ve ever received in my life. So, do you have someone you like?”
Fang Hao’s first reaction was to deny. “No, just… casually meeting people now and then. But I prefer not to date within the same circle. It’s too complicated.”
Lang Feng nodded in understanding. “Okay, I get it. I’ll stop trying then.”
Seeing how obliging he was, Fang Hao felt relieved. “If you’re single, I can introduce you to some potential partners. I’m sure many people would love to pursue you,” he said, recalling at least one person—Zhou Qichen, who had openly admired Lang Feng. Despite Zhou Qichen’s outspoken nature and sometimes having trouble getting his point across, Lang Feng’s gentle demeanor might balance things out well.
Pulling out his phone, Fang Hao scrolled through his contacts and found Zhou Qichen’s WeChat profile. “Here, my friend. He’s been wanting to meet you. Want to add him?” Fang Hao wasn’t usually one to play matchmaker; most of the time, he was on the receiving end. But today, he felt he owed Lang Feng and wanted to fulfill his promise quickly.
Lang Feng smiled politely and agreed on the spot, though he added, “I think it’s more likely that I’ll introduce you to someone. Since you prefer not to date within your circle, how about some handsome Dutch guys? I know a lot of them.”
The two of them took out their phones and browsed through their contacts. Lang Feng directly opened his photo albums and showed Fang Hao one by one the handsome guys ones in his opinion. What had started as a somewhat ambiguous dinner date had suddenly turned into a matchmaking event, which made Fang Hao laugh a little.
When Chen Jiayu passed through the busiest hub of Terminal 1, this was the scene he saw. In the Italian restaurant, Fang Hao had a smile on his face. Across from him sat Lang Feng, with his black hair, dark eyes, and clad in a pilot’s uniform. The emblem of the Royal Dutch Airlines was pinned to his chest, and a red, white, and blue flag adorned the hat resting on the table. The dazzling silver four-stripe insignia worn by captains on Lang Feng’s cuffs gleamed brightly under the light. Despite sitting face-to-face, their heads leaned in close over the table as if engrossed in something on the phone.
In Chen Jiayu’s recollection, Fang Hao rarely displayed such a relaxed, unguarded smile. He observed for a few more seconds, but it was Lang Feng who noticed him outside the window first, though he didn’t know him well. When Lang Feng glanced up, Fang Hao followed his gaze and spotted him too.
Realizing he needed to keep moving, Chen Jiayu nodded in their direction before walking away.
Maybe Fang Hao just sat there all the time. His four-stripe was gone, but there were always new ones arriving. Chen Jiayu laughed at his own worry about gains and losses and his own uncertainty. So far, Fang Hao and he were at most just friends; they weren’t symbiotic plants nor satellites orbiting around planets. Even without Chen Jiayu, Fang Hao seems to continue his life quite contently. The things he worried about, be it reputation or appearance, were inconsequential to some. He had been overthinking, and in the end, it was his own thoughts that had trapped him.
Translator notes: 2nd chapter! Another chapter will be posted tomorrow then one more at thursday or Saturday. 🙂
I can feel the disappointment in the ending…😩 but also..Chen Jiayu.. what do you mean by “his four stripes”? Your guys are not anything yet…there is no exclusive captain…
What does he mean by “four stripes” ?
Thank you so much for these new chapters. ❤️
It’s referring to being a Captain. The guy is probably thinking that it may be that Fang Hao just wants a Captain and any will do, it doesn’t have to be him (Chen Jiayu) specifically.
Thank you so much for answering 🙏
They’re still acting like ex-es who went trough a terrible break-up when they haven’t ever even dated.
Thank you for the chapter!
Yeah, I almost can’t take it anymore. They should just get together. Their thoughts are already on stage marriage 😂
There’s even people coming in to be a burden for their relationship, but such one hasn’t started yet lmao
Lol I appreciate how chill Lang Fang is truly a green flag.
Hmm, hmm, he is a little bit jealous, I think~
Thank You for the new chapter ٩(*ゝڡ◕๑)۶♥
Oh, he’s definitely feeling something lol. Thanks for reading! 💜
I’m now considering of reading tailhook after reading this chapter.
They haven’t even develop into a couple and we’re already going through angst of their breakup? 😂
Thank you for the chapter 🤍
Tailhook is also very good, I’m enjoying it a lot. Although it’s been almost a month since the last update. And so close to the finish line 😭.
If you want another awesome slice of life/mature characters Wildfire, Four o clock flower and Antidote are absolutely brilliant. I wholeheartedly recommend them. 😍.
I might wait for tailhook to finish then haha. Then I will read Four o clock first. I appreciate the recommendations! I have read antidote and contemplating whether to read Wildfire but now I’m convinced! Thanks a lot.
Four o’clock flower is my favorite, to be honest.
Did you like Antidote? I love that author. I’m reading now “Bump again if you have guts” and it’s fabulous, I’m laughing and crying with the ML , he’s such a sweetheart. I also recommended it, it’s almost completely translated and the translator updates really fast (every 2 days). I was thinking of reading Saye but I prefer more mature/adult characters and the ones from Saye seem very young.
I’m a sucker for mature BL! I have finished reading one lately although I’m not sure if it’s to your liking,the title is “Singlehood Syndrome” it shows more of a mundane life of the characters and the slow living kind of vibe with the ML’s smexiness lol
Also, have you heard of the novel ‘His Honey’? I would totally recommend it if you haven’t. Its a short story but utterly satisfying. It’s a mature BL and has some smuts lol definitely read this one first!
I dropped Antidote, probably didn’t feel the vibe at that time. I’m considering of giving it a chance because of your recommendation.
I haven’t read Saye even though I’ve seen pretty much everyone here liking it. I will try that comedy one. Sorry for spamming you!
I absolutely ADORED “His Honey” and I liked Singlehood syndrome “ . I’ve read almost all there is with mature characters , and my favorites is as I said Four o’clock flower. Wildfire and His Honey are very close second. Some say Tattoo is awesome too but it bored me to death.
“Bump again if you have the guts” is also becoming one of my favorites .
I also enjoyed a lot “President wife is a man” and “Falling together” or “Bo ghosting allowed “.
What do you mean spaming me ?
Bombarding you with multiple replies is what I meant.
Dang, you’re a legend indeed! How about that one novel where one of the protagonists lives in Thailand? I forgot the title.
Aww, I love tattoo. But that’s just because I enjoy the thrill of one character wooing the other. I tend to lose interest when they start dating.
The other novel of that same other was boring for me ‘I still wore your jacket after divorce’
Don’t worry about spaming, I don’t mind, but I think we are off topic here and they’ll soon ban us🤣🤣🤣🤣. I wonder if we could send private messages through here 🤔
I haven’t read the jacket one because I’m not a fan of second chance romances. I like the “meet-cutes” too much 😁 Taboo bored me probably because I found the guys boring . 🫣🤣
Lmao we definitely can’t afford getting banned here. I don’t think we can DM here. Thanks for the recommendations, really appreciate it.
Can’t seem to find the one with the ML who lives in Thailand 😭 If you remember the title let me know. My email is [email protected] . 🙏🙏❤️
Do you have discord? I’ll drop you a DM once I remember the title.