Fang Hao noticed a friend request from someone named Jiayuchen. At first, he didn’t recognize who it was, but thanks to the reminder in his chat, he realized it was Chen Jiayu. Were they going to have a normal conversation in the chat today? What was he up to this time? Fang Hao didn’t fully understand, but he accepted the request and was curious about what Chen Jiayu wanted to discuss.
Later, Chen Jiayu sent an apology message, but Fang Hao didn’t think it was particularly sincere. It seemed like Chen Jiayu had decided to change tactics after realizing that winning verbal battles might not be the best approach. Why did Chen Jiayu insist on establishing a good relationship with him among the dozens of people in Beijing Daxing Airport’s control room? It was a mystery he couldn’t quite unravel, and honestly, he didn’t really want to.
He had always had a poor sense of office politics. Lu Yan had hinted at it before, even saying, “Fang Hao, you’re the most outstanding air traffic controller I’ve ever seen. Maybe you were born for this job, but I’m worried for you.” Fang Hao could read between the lines in Lu Yan’s words. This job wasn’t just about directing airplanes; airplanes weren’t just machines. There were people behind the controls. Air traffic controllers had to interact with pilots, companies, and organizations on multiple levels, and he couldn’t afford to offend anyone. Just thinking about it gave Fang Hao a headache, especially since his recent promotion meant he had to mentor Wang Zhanbo and attend various safety regulation meetings. Some people might have a natural talent for navigating between different interest groups, just like Chen Jiayu, and emerging unscathed.
Summer vacation had ended, and the traffic at Daxing Airport was still manageable. They were on a four-shift rotation, working for two days and then having two days off. Most people only had to work night shifts for one week unless it was a holiday. However, someone with Fang Hao’s experience as a senior controller had to cover two night shifts. Night shifts disrupted the normal circadian rhythm, making them particularly exhausting, but there was no room for mistakes. Fang Hao spent one night shift after another drinking a lot of cold brew coffee, keeping the air conditioning in the control room chilly, and sneaking in a smoke here and there to stay alert.
At this late hour, as Fang Hao’s late-night shift was coming to an end, his colleague from the tower, Chu Yirou, paid him an unexpected visit, knocking on the door. “Fang Hao, someone’s looking for you at the entrance.”
“Ah? Who is it?” At this hour, it was probably either a colleague or a superior. However, colleagues usually just walked into the control room.
“It seems to be a pilot. I don’t recognize the uniform,” Chu Yirou remarked, hugging herself. “You people on this floor really love the cold; this air conditioning is freezing.”
There’s no smoke without fire. When pilots came to the tower, it was usually because the controllers had summoned them for inquiries. It could range from a scolding by the deputy chief or someone in charge of air traffic to filing a report that would be submitted to higher-ups. Generally, pilots only paid a visit to the tower if there was an issue. Could it be… Chen Jiayu?
Fang Hao took off his headphones and glanced at the screen, which showed no unusual activity. He instructed his coworker on the same shift and headed out, grabbing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, taking the chance to stretch his legs.
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.
As he stepped outside, Fang Hao was surprised to see that it was the captain from KLM, Lang Feng.
“Fang Hao?” Lang Feng greeted him.
Fang Hao hadn’t spoken to him before, but he had seen his face occasionally at the airport, so he was familiar with him but couldn’t recall his name. “What brings you here at this hour?”
Lang Feng checked his watch and then looked back at Fang Hao. “We have an early European flight today. I came in early for pre-flight preparations and thought I’d stop by to see you.”
“Where are you flying to today?” Fang Hao inquired politely, gesturing towards the smoking area. “I’m going to have a smoke; night shifts can make you feel drowsy. Hope you don’t mind.” He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, positioning himself at a distance from Lang Feng.
“It’s still Amsterdam,” Lang Feng replied and shook his head politely, saying it was no problem. He didn’t follow Fang Hao but kept his gaze on him as he walked.
“Fang Hao, thanks to you noticing the tire issue last Friday, I came here today just to say thank you in person,” Lang Feng smiled sincerely. It was 4:30 in the morning, and the Beijing sky was still dark, with the night turning cooler.
Fang Hao smiled back, revealing his white teeth. “It’s nothing.” He had encountered his fair share of unreasonable pilots, and people like Lang Feng were truly rare. Honestly, he was a bit unused to it and felt somewhat undeserving.
The two of them talked for a moment about the incident that day. Fang Hao wanted to inquire if they had identified the cause of the accident, but Lang Feng shook his head and said they hadn’t. He had also checked the maintenance records, and the tires had been replaced just two months ago.
“You may have heard that it was my maiden flight as a captain that day, so… making it through smoothly was quite lucky,” Lang Feng said, watching Fang Hao blow smoke rings into the night sky, somewhat lost in thought. Originally, he had wanted to find a less busy moment to thank the air traffic controller in the tower and the approach controller for their help. He also wanted to ask if they preferred a coffee shop gift card or something else as a token of appreciation. However, he hadn’t expected the person to be a tall, attractive guy with eyes that seemed to light up when he smiled.
“Tell me a date, and I’ll buy you a drink,” it slipped out of Lang Feng’s mouth at 4 am in the morning. In the quiet of the night, Lang Feng didn’t give it much thought; he just said it.
Fang Hao turned to give him a quick glance, and at that moment, his “gaydar” finally went off. Damn! He was quite skilled at handling in-flight emergencies, such as aircraft component failures, large-scale takeoffs and landings, or passenger medical emergencies. However, that skill didn’t work so well when it came to everyday life. The sudden invitation from the KLM captain, whom he had directed in the past, to grab a drink felt like an unusual situation.
“Um… thanks, but it’s really not necessary,” Fang Hao replied awkwardly, trying to convince himself that he was overthinking things. Lang Feng was a nice guy, both in looks and character, but five years ago, he had set a rule for himself not to get involved with anyone in the aviation industry, whether for romance or a casual encounter.
Lang Feng appeared somewhat disappointed, maybe realizing he had been a bit forward. “How about a cup of coffee then?”
Fang Hao nodded. “Sure, that works. Just come by the tower one day.” He felt that refusing any further would be impolite.
Lang Feng said, “Alright, I’ll call your duty phone.”
Fang Hao thought to himself that the duty phone was typically for pilots to call and complain, but it was fine. Maybe Lang Feng didn’t want to cross boundaries by asking for his personal number.
After seeing Lang Feng off, with not much air traffic to handle, Fang Hao found himself thinking about what had just happened. As he wrapped up his night shift, Chu Yirou must have caught sight of the two of them in the control tower and couldn’t resist the urge to engage in a little gossip. “So, was that pilot you argued with last Friday?”
“Huh?” Fang Hao was taken aback. How did everyone suddenly know about the incident in the control room last Friday? Nevertheless, he responded, “No, that was Lang Feng, the captain from KLM.”
Chu Yirou connected the dots, “The one with the blown tire? I didn’t expect him to be so handsome. Maybe he’s taken a liking to you.”
“What do you think?” This wasn’t just rhetoric; Fang Hao was genuinely curious. Chu Yirou had only glanced at the two of them in the tower. Could she really discern anything from that?
“The way he looked at you seemed different,” Chu Yirou asserted with confidence.
Fang Hao shook his head and dismissed the notion, “It can’t be. Until today, he didn’t even know what I looked like.”
Chu Yirou put on her coat, planning to walk with him to the parking lot, and playfully pushed him, “You’re just too modest.”
Translator comment: Alright! Chen Jiayu and Fan Hao are meeting again in the next chapter! 😀
‘Gaydar’ haha 😂😂
Thank You for the new chapter (ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡
The KLM pilot should move, he has no chance since he isn’t the ML. 😂
Thank you for the chapter!
Not with Fang Hao , no. But he does get a nice side pairing. 😀
Chen Jiayu is too slow! Someone is already eyeing our MC.
Thanks for the chapter 🤍
I think lots of people are eyeing our MC, but he just picks who he wants when he wants to get scratched. 😆
Awww. I fell sorry. I think i spotted the second male lead😅
Thanks for the update.
lol Chen Jiayu your man is in demand