The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 9 - 2
Chapter 9 - 2
Before boarding the plane, Yu Meng had secretly met with Mrs. Xin. Although the Xin family was involved in many industries, they had very little overseas investment, let alone a project like this one in Myanmar. Still, Yu Meng could sense that the Xin family was interested in the project. For no other reason than the massive profits.
She hadn't seen Han Guang yet; she had only spoken to him over the phone, briefly laying out her thoughts on the project and the Xin family's attitude. Han Guang hadn't committed either way, only saying they would discuss it when she got back.
Note that Han Guang had used the word "discuss." This indicated that they were already partners. Yu Meng felt this was the most comfortable way for her and Han Guang to relate to one another: not as lovers, but as partners. It was quite good. Conquering an ice-berg of a lover like Han Guang was truly an exhausting and thankless task.
Zhengyu had suddenly fallen seriously ill. The campus hospital diagnosed it as nothing too critical, though his jaundice was at a somewhat frightening level. As parents, Luan Chengyun and Yu Meng appeared on the scene at the very first moment. It was also a good opportunity to talk about the boys' situation.
Yu Meng's view was that they should simply have their sons return to China; leaving them wandering about abroad might just lead to more trouble. Luan Chengyun felt they should still defer to their sons' wishes. Haoyu disagreed, saying, "I'm not going back. If Zhengyu is sick, I can't drag him down."
His attitude was resolute.
He had just gotten back together with Han Xiqian; he couldn't just be separated by the "milking swallows flying apart" like that. With things weighing on her mind, Yu Meng didn't stop her son since he insisted on staying abroad to study hard and make daily progress. The moment Zhengyu's condition improved slightly, Haoyu helped his parents book their plane tickets so they could head back home.
"You are out of your mind!" Yu Meng reprimanded Haoyu. He had booked his parents' seats right next to each other.
Haoyu had no choice but to try and placate her: Mom, you're practically a business tycoon now, even bigger than Dad—be magnanimous. The seats are together, but you can just treat him like air.
Treat him as invisible. Completely empty your mind of everything. There was nothing for it; flights were tight, and this was the only way. However, Yu Meng laid down a rule: when going to the airport, Haoyu was only allowed to send her off. As for Luan Chengyun, he could have his American fling take him. It would just be a case of rekindling old flames, which suited him.
Everything went smoothly, and Haoyu turned back to pick up Xiqian; they had agreed to go hang out in Koreatown. Once in the car, Xiqian muttered, "Your mom is way too much of a handful."
Haoyu put on a serious face. "Don't talk about my mom like that!"
Xiqian retorted, "I'm just stating facts. She doesn't want the ones who like her, and instead insists on trying to conquer Mount Everest just to become my stepmother."
Emergency brakes.
"Get out of the car." Haoyu reached over to open the door for her.
"What the hell?!" Xiqian paid the price for running her mouth.
"Get out."
"Fine!" Xiqian had quite a temper of her own. "Long live your mom! Your mom is great! What kind of person can't even take a joke?"
Haoyu's anger subsided slightly. The car started moving again. Only then did Xiqian's temper burst forth in a flood: "Look at that attitude of yours! Can you blame me if she can't be my mother? If my dad isn't happy or willing, won't she just be my mother-in-law later on? Half a mother."
"Your dad is nothing special anyway." Haoyu said with disdain.
So what if he has a bit of stinking money? Bah!
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"He's no upright gentleman!"
"Bullshit!"
"Would an upright gentleman get tangled up with his sister-in-law?"
"Stop the car!" Xiqian's piercing shriek could have punctured the sky. Haoyu was startled. The car came to a halt. Xiqian strode away down the highway.
"No way," Haoyu chased after her in the car. "I apologize. Let's not talk about our parents anymore."
"Apology rejected," Xiqian said breezily.
The airliner cruised smoothly above the cloud layer. A flight attendant pushed the meal cart down the aisle, smiling. Luan Chengyun raised a hand. "Orange juice, please."
The attendant poured a cup of orange juice and handed it over. Then she looked at Yu Meng.
"Mineral water," Yu Meng said.
The attendant walked away. A faint smile playing on his lips, Luan Chengyun asked in a low voice, "Quit coffee?"
Yu Meng closed her eyes, sinking her head into her travel pillow, and dragged out her tone. "There's someone I don't want to see sitting right next to me, so there's no need to be all that clear-headed."
"I can disappear," Luan Chengyun said in a steady tone.
"Disappear? Open the door and jump out?" Yu Meng shot back.
"Maybe the plane will just fall out of the sky on its own."
"Shut your crow's mouth!" Yu Meng turned onto her side, presenting her back to him. For some reason, ever since the divorce, she could be completely uninhibited in front of Luan Chengyun. In front of him, she could be any way she wanted. She could act like a shrew, or she could act like a venomous woman. They knew each other inside and out, so there was no need to put on airs. Besides, Yu Meng believed the fault lay with old Luan—he was the one who brought out that ungraceful part of her.
It was a case of fighting evil with evil.
Luan Chengyun leaned in almost flush against her back. "That wind power plant project—I advise you to be cautious." What was that supposed to mean? That project had already been handed off, yet with Luan saying this, Yu Meng felt compelled to hear out his high-minded theories.
"Cautious about what?" she asked.
"There's pollution."
Yu Meng immediately burst out laughing in derision. The man had lost his mind; thermal power plants had pollution, but what kind of pollution could wind power possibly have? This was textbook layman talk.
With a stern expression, Yu Meng said, "The wind belongs to the heavens; I'm just borrowing it to blow a little. Where on earth is the pollution?"
"That wind power plant—its site selection is relatively close to residential areas. Once it's put into operation, the noise, vibration, and radiation pollution from the wind turbine equipment might pollute the surrounding residents and poultry farms."
"You're talking about possibilities," Yu Meng countered. "Maybe it won't happen at all."
"This is a major issue."
"Enough!" Yu Meng cut him off. "You're a conscientious entrepreneur, and I'm no social pest either. I have a brain and can analyze things. Thanks for the reminder."
Yu Meng turned her face away and went back to sleep.
Yet she had to admit that Luan Chengyun's analysis wasn't entirely unreasonable; having worked on projects for so many years, objectively speaking, he had accumulated quite a lot of experience. Yu Meng wondered if she should tell him about the Myanmar project and have him analyze it to pool everyone's wisdom. Then she thought better of it—no way, the old lady was going there to make money, and this was a trade secret; she couldn't let someone like Luan Chengyun get a head start.
The plane plunged into a layer of clouds, and the light outside the cabin windows dimmed. Before long, the fuselage began to buffet, and the cabin crew swiftly moved into position to soothe the passengers' emotions. Someone asked, "What's going on?! Is there a problem?!" Before the words had even faded, a violent jolt made the passengers scream. There were children crying and passengers calling for help; an elderly person was having a heart attack, forcing the flight attendants to crowd around and administer emergency first aid.
Another round of violent shaking ensued.
The oxygen masks dropped down.
Yu Meng glared fiercely at old Luan beside her. "It's so damn unlucky being with you!" In her panic, Yu Meng kept fumbling with her mask and couldn't get it positioned right. Luan Chengyun freed up a hand to help her. Yu Meng felt a twinge of embarrassment; even in a moment of crisis, he was still looking out for her. "Yours—put it on!" she shouted over the dangling oxygen mask. Luan Chengyun calmly put on his breathing mask.
The shaking grew more violent; the cups on the tray tables bounced up and crashed onto the floor, throwing the cabin into complete chaos. The flight crew fought desperately to maintain order, trying to make everyone believe the difficulties were only temporary and they would weather the storm soon. But in a cabin being tossed about like dice rolled by God, who would believe their words? Some people were praying, some had started writing final wills, and the majority were panicked, helpless, and hysterical.
Luan Chengyun pulled off his mask and faced Yu Meng. "Maybe it's meant to be!" he practically shouted.
The noise was too loud.
"What?!"
"It's all meant to be!" he shouted again.
"My ass!" The fuselage tilted up and down again, leaving Yu Meng in a disheveled mess.
Luan Chengyun shouted right into her ear, "Fated not to be born in the same year, month, and day, but to die in the same year, month, and day!" Enraged, Yu Meng reached out and slapped him across the face. "I'm not going to die! I'm not dying with you!"
Luan Chengyun suddenly burst into cheers.
Madman! Yu Meng hated him; he was simply a madman!
The cabin shook even more violently. People could barely stay in their seats. Luan Chengyun grabbed hold of Yu Meng, shielding her as best as he could to minimize injury. The cabin was in such turmoil it felt like the end of the world. Clutching her head, Yu Meng found her mask slipping and hanging crookedly off to the side. Suddenly, Yu Meng burst into tears. "My sons... my Haoyu, my Zhengyu... Mommy loves you..." On the edge of life and death, Yu Meng thought of her sons. What would happen if the plane went down? They would become orphans. Damn Luan Chengyun—if they hadn't taken the same flight, the kids would still have hope... With one hand, Luan Chengyun held his phone and rapidly punched out a message, though he had no idea if it would actually send.
The cabin inverted.
Everything turned completely upside down.
Screams echoed from all directions. Without thinking, Luan Chengyun and Yu Meng reached out and clasped hands tightly, as if they were riding a roller coaster. Yu Meng was already crying a messy flood of tears. Finally, the cabin righted itself, and the buffeting continued.
Luan Chengyun gazed steadily at Yu Meng and shouted, "Say you forgive me! Before we die, forgive me!"
"I'm not dying!" Yu Meng shrieked, feeling that her life had only just begun—how could she possibly die mid-air?
"Forgive me!" Luan Chengyun was possessed, like someone in a trance. "Don't carry emotional baggage into the other world! It was my fault in the past!... I shouldn't have looked for other women!... I shouldn't have messed around with... women!.... I shouldn't have raised my hands against you!.... It was my fault!"
It sounded almost like a confession of love.
Another roll and flip. Buffeting. Tremors. The cabin felt like a blender, intent on smashing everything to pieces and reassembling it. Life was moments away from resetting to zero.
"I forgive you! I fucking forgive you!" Yu Meng's throat was raw and hoarse, her voice choked with tears. Damn it all! What kind of time was this for this bastard to pull this?
The plane made one final loop in the air before finally punching through the cloud layer. Like a bird shaking the raindrops from its feathers, it resumed a steady, smooth glide through the upper air.
The crying and shouting slowly subsided.
They weren't dead. They were alive!
Yu Meng wept tears of joy, her makeup smeared across her face like a distressed raccoon. Excitedly, she hugged the person next to her to celebrate escaping the jaws of death.
She turned to hug the other side, and it was Luan Chengyun.
"You forgave me," he was still fixated on that.
"No I didn't!" Yu Meng said, looking a complete mess as she flatly denied it.