Blossom through the Cloud - Chapter 76

Chapter 76 - The Ending (Part 1)

The word "marriage" was exceptionally foreign to Ruan Suxian.

At least in her twenty-six years of life up to that point, she had never proactively entertained the concept.

At her age, she had plenty of friends discussing marriage and had attended quite a few weddings.

Yet when she placed herself inside that concept, it felt completely empty and blank, as though she had no idea what it actually meant.

However, the moment Fu Mingyu spoke of "marrying him" and uttered the word "husband," a multitude of images suddenly flashed through her mind.

Waking up at daybreak to open her eyes and seeing him right there.

An evening after the rain, with a single lamp left lit for her inside the room.

A biting winter day, snowflakes swirling thickly outside the window, the two of them leaning against each other on the sofa while a cacophony of music played from the television.

......

The images collided in a chaotic, disorderly fashion, piecing together a tapestry of the future.

"Wait—"

Ruan Suxian suddenly spoke up, looked around the room, abruptly pushed Fu Mingyu away, and dashed toward the bedroom.

"What are you running for?"

When Fu Mingyu chased after her, the door slammed shut with a heavy bang, shutting him outside.

"Where did you go?"

Fu Mingyu knocked on the door. "Come out."

A voice drifted from inside: "Don't speak!"

One minute, two minutes, three minutes... ten minutes passed.

Leaning against the door, Fu Mingyu heard faint rustling noises from within, occasionally accompanied by footsteps, though he had no clue what she was actually doing.

On that sweltering afternoon with the air conditioning turned off, a wave of heat surged within him, yet he asked carefully, "What on earth are you doing in there?"

"I told you to wait a minute!"

The midday sunlight filtered into the physics of the room, passing through the leaves to cast mottled shadows on the floor that swayed gently with the breeze.

Fu Mingyu paced back and forth in the living room a few times, raised a hand to loosen his tie, tilted his head back, and exhaled a long breath.

He cast a glance toward the bedroom door, but the person inside still showed no signs of coming out.

His phone buzzed a few times with calls from friends.

Glancing at it, Fu Mingyu rejected the calls, tossed the phone aside, paced a few more paces, and unbuttoned his collar to catch his breath.

The living room clock ticked away monotonously. With the windows open, waves of sultry wind drifted in, making the air feel tight and oppressive.

He even began second-guessing her intentions, wondering if he had moved a bit too fast.

How much time elapsed, he couldn't be sure. Clasping the unbestowed diamond ring in his hand, Fu Mingyu paced the small living room a few more times, scowled at her bedroom door, paused briefly, then strode across in two or three steps and knocked with deliberate force.

"Open the door!"

The door didn't budge. Pressing the tip of his tongue against his back molars, Fu Mingyu stared fixedly at the door for a few seconds before raising his hand and starting to say, "Ruan Suxian, you—"

The door suddenly pulled inward. Fu Mingyu's raised hand struck empty air. The sharp light contracted in his pupils resembled the center of a whirlpool in the ocean, yet the instant he caught sight of her, it dissolved into a sudden, silent expanse, flowing quietly across his gaze.

Ruan Suxian braced her hand against the door frame. The white, luminous dress she wore draped softly over her skin, accentuating her graceful curves.

The wind seemed to halt abruptly, resting quietly upon Ruan Suxian's shoulders and stirring the strands of hair framing her cheek.

She had retreated to the bedroom and spent an entire hour sitting in front of the vanity mirror meticulously doing her makeup and changing into her newly purchased dress.

To others, it might have seemed like an unnecessary fuss, but she wanted to ensure that in all future days, whenever she looked back on today, she would remember herself at her absolute best.

Raising her eyes to look at Fu Mingyu, she allowed his gaze to linger freely over her.

"Let's start over. That didn't count."

Fu Mingyu kept his eyes lowered as he looked at her, dark currents roiling beneath his gaze.

"Hm? Start what over?"

"Hurry up." Ruan Suxian reached out and gave his tie a gentle tug. "Do it over again."

Fu Mingyu leaned down, bringing his face close to hers with a smile playing at the corners of his lips, and slowly kissed her.

"What are you doing!" Ruan Suxian braced her hands against his chest and pushed outward. "I didn't mean that!"

Yet the man before her completely ignored her. Supporting the back of her neck, he deepened the kiss step by step.

"Don't try to gloss this over!"

Ruan Suxian continued shoving him, only to have her hands firmly restrained. When she tried to kick out, he took a step forward, pinning her against the door frame so she couldn't move an inch.

The chirping of cicadas rose and fell in waves, mingling with his breathing near Ruan Suxian's ear. That afternoon felt as dreamlike and surreal as an illusion, yet his kiss was far more genuine than any prior moment—stripped of raw desire, it was a devoted expression of his piety.

After a long while, he finally pulled back, pressed his forehead against Ruan Suxian's, and gazed deep into her eyes.

He parted his lips as if to speak, but froze upon catching sight of her lowered eyelashes. Stepping back, he slowly bent his knees.

Although she had anticipated his next move, seeing him genuinely drop to one knee still filled Ruan Suxian's chest with an overwhelming, aching warmth.

She had assumed such a gesture belonged solely in the realm of imagination.

Such a proud man, yet his deep gaze was filled with a reverence beyond measure.

Ruan Suxian's mind buzzed with a dull hum. Keeping her hands clasped behind her back, she nervously twisted her fingers into her clothes, every single nerve in her body strung taut.

That pink diamond was nearly dazzling her eyes.

"Marry me, and I will give you a home."

Upon hearing those words, Ruan Suxian's grip suddenly relaxed, and every single cell in her body sank comfortably into a soft cradle.

That very afternoon, Ruan Suxian accompanied Fu Mingyu to the cemetery.

Before departing, this bewitching man insisted on going upstairs to change his clothes.

Ruan Suxian looked him up and down. "How is this any different from what you were just wearing?"

"I've been on a plane all day, it's a bit dusty."

Retrieving his car keys, he headed out toward the garage at a leisurely pace, turning back with a smile. "Meeting the parents requires looking clean and proper."

The cemetery remained as desolate as ever.

Whether the elderly caretaker responsible for the grounds had dozed off, despite it being summer, the paths were strewn with fallen leaves.

Ruan Suxian's father's headstone stood in an unassuming corner. The man in the photograph possessed soft facial features, though his brows carried a faint hint of valiant spirit.

Carrying a bouquet of white lilies, Fu Mingyu murmured, "Dad doesn't look like a literature teacher."

"He used to be in the military..." Ruan Suxian suddenly stopped, glanced at him, and upon meeting his calm, unblinking gaze, choked back her words and said nothing more.

He slipped the word "Dad" off his tongue with alarming fluency.

"Dad," Ruan Suxian said, placing the lilies before the headstone. "Happy birthday."

Bending over, she glanced sideways at Fu Mingyu and whispered, "This is my boyfriend."

"Hm?" Fu Mingyu said. "What did you just say?"

Ruan Suxian: "......"

"This is my fiance."

He took Ruan Suxian's hand, gazing quietly at the headstone.

For the most part, Fu Mingyu was a man of few words.

Unsure of what was running through his mind at that moment, Ruan Suxian stayed silent, standing there with him for a long while.

They didn't leave the cemetery until the sun sank below the western hills.

Along the way, Fu Mingyu's phone rang incessantly.

He answered a few calls, speaking only in brief snatches of words like "hm," "got it," and "reschedule for tomorrow" that drifted to Ruan Suxian's ears.

Having just returned to the country, countless matters urgently required his handover and oversight, making this period far busier than usual for him.

Even so, he postponed a portion of his work just to share dinner with Ruan Suxian before leaving.

Back home, Ruan Suxian changed her clothes, lay down on the bed, stretched out her hand beneath the illumination of the overhead light, and stared at the sparkling diamond ring resting on her ring finger.

Ah.

A diamond ring.

It was massive.

Though her expression remained calm, a tempest raged inside her heart.

She fell asleep quite late that night. Amidst her hazy slumber, she felt the mattress dip slightly beside her.

Without opening her eyes, she caught the familiar scent of body wash lingering in the air.

The person beside her slipped into bed with utmost care, pulled the blanket up securely, and drew her into an embrace.

Once his breathing grew steady and even, Ruan Suxian nuzzled closer into his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist, curved her lips into a smile, and whispered softly: "Hubby."

Her voice was so quiet it was nearly a breath, escaping from beneath the covers yet echoing repeatedly in Fu Mingyu's ears.

Lowering his gaze, he watched the person in his arms by the pale moonlight.

Her eyes were closed and her breathing was deep and even, feigning sleep as though it were the most convincing performance in the world—utterly oblivious to the fact that her eyelashes were trembling.

"Which man were you dreaming of, Mrs. Fu?" Fu Mingyu asked in a low voice right above her head.

That afternoon, a torrential downpour lashed the venue of Zheng You'an and Yan An's engagement banquet.

By evening, the sudden squall had cleared, and the setting sun broke through the clouds, sending golden billows of brilliant clouds rolling across the horizon.

The car carrying Fu Mingyu and Ruan Suxian pulled up smoothly to the entrance of the Warner Manor banquet hall.

As they stepped out and glanced behind them, another car pulled in closely right on their tail.

Fu Mingyu raised his chin and pulled Ruan Suxian back a step.

"Let's wait for them."

Linking her arm through Fu Mingyu's, Ruan Suxian looked over.

The people stepping out of that vehicle were Helan Xiang and Fu Chengwu.

Ever since their brief encounter at the airport during New Year's Eve, Ruan Suxian and Fu Chengwu had virtually no further interactions.

According to Fu Mingyu, upon returning, his brother immediately threw himself into taking over Hengshi Aviation Financial Leasing Company, effectively splitting responsibilities cleanly with Fu Mingyu, rendering rumors of a power struggle entirely baseless.

Even so, Fu Chengwu rarely showed his face at the Shanhang headquarters building.

During that period, Helan Xiang had once invited Ruan Suxian over to the Lakeview Mansion for dinner, but by the time she arrived, Fu Chengwu had already left.

Fu Chengwu swept his gaze across Ruan Suxian and Fu Mingyu before remarking, "When are you planning to move out completely? I've had my eye on that study of yours for a long time."

Fu Mingyu: "Whenever you want."

Hearing this from the sidelines, Helan Xiang raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh.

They say a married daughter is like poured-out water, but a son whose soul has been hooked turns straight into a river rushing to the sea with no intent of return.

The venue was packed with well-dressed elites under brilliant lights, with Zheng You'an standing out dazzlingly in her pale gold gown.

With every step she took, the shimmering skirt caught the light, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

Beside her, Yan An stood in a sharp black formal suit, making the pair look remarkably well-matched.

"President Yan looks quite dashing today," Ruan Suxian whispered.

"What?" Fu Mingyu tilted his head to look at her. "Regretting it?"

Ruan Suxian looked straight ahead and replied unblinkingly, "Too late for regrets now."

Fu Mingyu chuckled softly. "Even if you had the chance, I wouldn't allow it."

Ruan Suxian's gaze drifted back to Zheng You'an's dress.

Though this was the second time she had laid eyes on the gown, she still found herself struck by its beauty.

Who wouldn't love something that sparkled like that?

Especially when it glittered with such understated luxury.

She let out a soft sigh.

"That dress really is stunning under the lights."

Steering her shoulder away, Fu Mingyu led her aside. "It's alright."

As they spoke, Zheng You'an and Yan An approached along with both sets of parents.

Helan Xiang, who had been quietly appraising the couple just moments ago, instantly changed her tune. "Congratulations, Madam Zheng! Look how well-matched this young couple is."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Yan An accidentally stepped on the hem of Zheng You'an's dress. She stumbled and nearly fell, but after Yan An caught her in a frantic scramble, she flashed a tight, strained smile. "Be careful, darling. Isn't this dress a bit troublesome to walk in?"

Yan An: "......"

Dong Xian's expression flickered slightly nearby, though fortunately, the people in Helan Xiang's circle were well aware of the true situation behind the scenes. Playing along with the illusion of prosperity they had manufactured, they simply treated the match as a natural romance culminating in a wedding.

"Careful now, Yan An, make sure you support your fiancée properly."

There was no need for anyone to prompt her; Zheng You'an's hand was already resting securely in Yan An's palm, the massive pigeon-blood stone catching and throwing the venue's lights in a dazzling flash.

Helan Xiang glanced at it and smiled. "That ring really is a work of heartfelt effort."

Ruan Suxian followed her line of sight and her pupils dilated in shock.

"......"

Good grief, isn't that a bit too large? Is she genuinely wearing an actual pigeon egg on her hand?

Catching her gaze, Helan Xiang assumed she was envious.

Once the hosts moved on to greet other guests, Helan Xiang stroked the ring on her own finger and remarked, "Actually, diamonds aren't always better the larger they get. Come to think of it, a few months ago I set my sights on a fancy vivid pink diamond in South Africa—a GIA-certified radiant pink diamond. If you ask me, wedding rings only carry real meaning when they're like that: focusing on purity with an exquisite cut, looking simply stunning when worn on the hand. It's such a pity I went to great lengths trying to buy it, only for some bastard to secretly swoop in and steal it away. I'll keep an eye out for you two and let you know if anything suitable pops up."

Hearing this, Fu Chengwu glanced sideways at the "little bastard" standing beside him.

The little bastard remained entirely unfazed, raising his arm to casually link his arm through Ruan Suxian's as they strolled past Helan Xiang.

And the exquisite pink diamond on Ruan Suxian's finger, expertly cut and set, flashed right across Helan Xiang's field of vision.

A belated realization struck Helan Xiang that the bastard who had silently snatched up her beloved diamond was, in fact, her own flesh and blood.

After taking a long while to digest this reality, and recalling that it was a gift for Ruan Suxian, she managed to make her peace with it.

Once she accepted that fact, however, her thoughts immediately drifted to other matters.

"Such a major event and you didn't even discuss it with me beforehand. Knowing your taste, what if you ended up getting some tacky pigeon egg or something?"

That entire evening, Helan Xiang remained sleepless.

Bright and early the next morning, she presented a complete wedding proposal, fully indulging her long-dormant designer soul.

Yet the two people seated across from her glanced over the proposal and shook their heads in unison.

"What? Is this setup not gorgeous enough, or is it lacking in grandeur?"

Helan Xiang slapped the proposal down onto the table. "Come on, give me one, two, three reasons why."

Naturally, Ruan Suxian deferred the question directly to Fu Mingyu.

"No rush," Fu Mingyu said. "She wants to wait until she upgrades to captain next year."

"Oh?"

Helan Xiang paused for a moment before snapping back into realization. "Ah, right, she's an F3 now, isn't she? Truly busy indeed. A wedding is the sort of event that needs meticulous preparation—mustn't rush it, after all, it's a once-in-a-lifetime affair."

Besides that, Fu Mingyu had carried out one other task.

In late September, during Ruan Suxian's quarterly leave, Fu Mingyu took her on a trip to Paris to visit Dior's handcrafted atelier for customized measurements and a bespoke wedding gown.

A haute couture creation demanded the meticulous dedication of countless designers and artisans, and the price tag was naturally breathtaking to behold.

Every single floating golden thread and shifting undertone of starlight on the design sketches practically screamed, "I am ridiculously expensive!"

Before even seeing the finished product, Ruan Suxian was already feeling dizzy.

"Won't this take a terribly long time to produce?"

As they boarded the return flight, Ruan Suxian's mind was still entirely occupied by the image of that wedding gown. "When will I actually get to see the finished piece?"

Reclining semi-comfortably in his seat, Fu Mingyu replied with an ambiguous smile, "Are you in a rush to marry me, or are you in a rush to wear the dress?"

Wasn't that a redundant question?

"Is there a difference?"

Fu Mingyu turned to look at her, a gentle smile touching his lips. "Don't worry. Though it will take a long time, it'll be worth it."

He reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her cheek. "Whatever other people have, you will have as well. I won't let you envy anyone."

Only later did Ruan Suxian belatedly realize that Fu Mingyu was referring to Zheng You'an's dress.

Lowering her head, she hooked her finger playfully through the lapel of Fu Mingyu's shirt.

"Who's envying anyone? Stop talking nonsense."

Far away in Paris, the wedding gown was taking shape, stitched meticulously needle by needle.

Time flowed on alongside the crossing threads.

Throughout that year, Ruan Suxian was exceptionally busy yet deeply fulfilled.

She passed her F4 qualifications, secured resources for plateau routes, navigated the left-seat first officer training stage, and finally ushered in her line check in mid-July.

After spending a few days clearing the theory exams, undergoing recurrent training, and passing her medical evaluations, Ruan Suxian faced the ultimate simulator examination.

Prior to that, she had already caught sight of her designated ground instructor's name.

Ren Xu.

If Helan Feng was the inherent nightmare of pilots, then Ren Xu was an absolute disaster on the ground.

This instructor had long been infamous for his sadistic tendencies and bore the nickname "The Burger King," owing to his uncanny knack for stacking multiple cascading emergencies like layers of a burger during simulator exams.

Although simulator training was genuinely designed to hone pilots' reflex reactions to various unexpected crises, his additions were simply too extreme. Given the sheer scale of malfunctions he programmed, if one were to actually encounter them in mid-air, the aircraft would likely disintegrate on the spot.

Consequently, the pass rate for line checks under his supervision was horrifyingly low. In previous years, some candidates had attempted underhanded methods, such as slipping him red envelopes.

The result? They didn't even make it past the door of the simulator.

Thus, when others learned that Ren Xu was assigned as Ruan Suxian's line check instructor this time around, sympathetic glances flooded her way, along with subtle hints that she might want to ask Fu Mingyu for a little help.

At the time, Ruan Suxian had simply lifted her chin.

"Absolutely not."

Everyone's gaze instantly shifted to pure admiration.

Such admirable backbone for the future corporate boss's wife.

In truth, her backbone was only part of the reason.

Another part of it was that Fu Mingyu had been rather idle lately, possessing an abundance of excess energy. If she were to make such a request, the price she'd have to pay in return might be more than she could handle.

Besides, she possessed total confidence in her ability to pass on her own merits; why would she ever need to ask Fu Mingyu for favors?

At 3:00 PM, Ruan Suxian and her partner stood before the cockpit, listening to Ren Xu deliver his pre-check briefing.

Ren Xu didn't waste words, keeping his instructions brief and direct.

"The first stripe on your shoulders represents professionalism, the second represents knowledge, the third represents flying technique, and your goal today is the fourth stripe—responsibility. A captain is not merely the highest authority on board an aircraft; you bear the safety of the entire crew, the passengers, and the plane itself. To become a captain is to never shirk this responsibility, adopting an attitude of lifelong learning and perpetual rigor, using professionalism, knowledge, and technique as your weapons to safeguard safety thirty thousand feet in the air."

"As for errors," he turned his head to glare at the simulator, "everyone makes mistakes—that's an objective reality, and it's also the very reason behind a two-crew flight deck. Every single link in the chain can potentially loosen and trigger an accident chain, and what a captain must do is strive to minimize the probability of an accident occurring before it happens, and turn the tide when disaster strikes."

As Ren Xu turned around, Ruan Suxian exchanged a glance with her partner.

——Turn the tide? Just how turbulent is this going to get?

——Who knows?

Once Ren Xu finished speaking, his gaze settled squarely on Ruan Suxian.

"Ruan Suxian?" He flipped through his record sheet. "Ah, the captain incapacitation and heavy rain emergency landing last year—that was you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Let me witness your skills in action shortly."

I...

Ruan Suxian didn't particularly care for him to witness anything.

The moment the exam commenced, they truly experienced the true meaning of "The Burger King"—he threw out the ultimate moves right off the bat, gifting them a complimentary package of "roll clouds."

After the aircraft "supposedly" broke into the roll clouds, the fuselage tilted and banked violently from side to side like a spinning top.

Hardly had they managed to stabilize the plane when Ren Xu casually tapped a key on his keyboard, fracturing a hydraulic line and causing the entire hydraulic system to register an instant failure. The aircraft began dancing wildly through the sky like a car with its steering wheel torn off.

Furthermore, to ensure trainees experienced a 100% authentic operational feel, the simulator provided a 1:1 replica of an actual cockpit interior, precisely simulating instruments, equipment, materials, weightlessness during takeoff and landing, and airflow turbulence. Consequently, barely moments into the flight, Ruan Suxian's partner had already turned green in the face from the relentless motion.

Beads of sweat began to form on Ruan Suxian's forehead as well, accompanied by a churning sensation in her stomach.

Sensing danger, she relied on sheer willpower, coordinating with her partner to utilize the engine thrust management system, manipulating asymmetrical thrust from the engines on both sides to control altitude changes and turns.

However, before long, the expressionless Ren Xu in the back row unleashed his second ultimate move.

"Aircraft body compromised, high-altitude air is thin and pressure is low. The differential pressure between the cabin interior and exterior is currently excessive, and emergency pressurization must be initiated immediately," Ruan Suxian rasped, her voice turning hoarse. "We must descend to 3,000 meters within ten minutes, otherwise the oxygen masks won't hold out and the passengers in the cabin will face the risk of suffocation."

Ren Xu, stationed in the rear like a machine devoid of emotion, gave a nod and maintained his expressionless facade as he acted out the role of air traffic control, engaging in air-ground communications with Ruan Suxian.

And this was merely the hors d'oeuvre Ren Xu had prepared for them. Right after serving up appetizers like instrument failures and cabin air leaks, the full course—consisting of cumulonimbus storms and typhoons—followed in rapid succession.

By this point, let alone the two pilots sitting in the front row, even Ren Xu, who was normally accustomed to turbulence, felt a faint urge to vomit.

Yet he was stubborn, he was generous, and he insisted on serving Ruan Suxian a Michelin three-star dessert upon landing.

Following the depressurization cycle of the landing approach, Ren Xu fought down his churning stomach to program an engine blade metal fatigue fracture that caused one of the engines to disintegrate entirely, alongside a concurrent hydraulic system failure.

Under such conditions, Ruan Suxian's partner seemed to already see a wash of crimson filling his vision—a crash warning.

No one knew how Ruan Suxian managed to battle the aircraft for nearly twenty minutes while fighting off intense nausea. When the ground finally crept into view, she was operating the control column almost entirely on pure physical instinct.

With a heavy thud, she couldn't even clearly distinguish whether the violent jolt was a successful touchdown or a catastrophic crash.

When complete silence finally fell around them, she heard sounds of vomiting erupting from both the right seat and the rear, piercing her brain like sharp blades.

The light outside the simulator was blindingly bright, making it impossible to see a thing.

That was her sole sensation as she stepped out.

The next second, her vision blurred, her limbs lost all sensation, and she collapsed toward the floor.

Yet the expected impact with the ground never arrived.

Before losing consciousness entirely, she caught the familiar scent of balsam fir.

It's over.

I'm finished.

That was her final conscious thought.

The golden afternoon shadows quietly crept from the center of the room over to the corner. Amidst a hazy fog, Ruan Suxian heard voices murmuring around her.

Slowly opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings—a blinding expanse of white.

As her consciousness gradually returned, her vision cleared.

Fu Mingyu had been speaking with a nurse, but as if sensing a change, he turned back to find Ruan Suxian staring blankly at him.

He walked over to the hospital bed and leaned down to press a hand against her forehead.

"Awake?"

Ruan Suxian didn't react, her eyes remaining completely unfocused.

"What happened to me?"

"You fainted."

A knot formed in Ruan Suxian's chest.

She was truly done for.

Yet Fu Mingyu's expression lacked any heavy grimness. He brushed the stray locks of hair away from her neck to make her more comfortable.

"What did you have for lunch today?"

"I..." Ruan Suxian's brain refused to turn, answering mechanically like a robot, "Shared the boxed lunch Ni Tong's mom sent over."

Fu Mingyu: "Hm, don't eat other people's food anymore."

Ruan Suxian stared at him without blinking.

Instead, Fu Mingyu turned away with absolute nonchalance and walked toward the cabinet.

"Don't leave," Ruan Suxian raised a hand. "Did I... crash the plane?"

"You just passed out from skipping lunch, it has nothing to do with the exam."

He replied calmly.

"Hm?"

Ruan Suxian was thoroughly bewildered. "What?"

"You didn't crash."

Fu Mingyu turned around, holding an object in his hand. "You passed."

Silence filled the quiet hospital room as Ruan Suxian dazedly watched Fu Mingyu walk toward her.

He raised his hand and detached the three-stripe epaulets from her uniform.

With his own hands, he fastened the new epaulets in their place.

Gently brushing his fingers over the fourth stripe, he lowered his gaze and smiled.

"Congratulations, Captain Ruan."