Mu Linjing hadn't expected the confession she had once longed for to be heard under such circumstances. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be happy or sad. It wasn't that she hadn't anticipated Zhan Yichen saying he liked her and happily agreeing to be with him, but at this moment, that expectation had clearly turned into a joke.
Zhan Yichen was someone she could never hope to reach.
Suppressing her tears, she gently removed Zhan Yichen's hand from her shoulder and said with a pang of pain, "Zhan Yichen, we are not suited for each other."
Zhan Yichen had considered that she might refuse, had thought of various responses, but never had he imagined she would say they were not suited.
He chuckled, his voice full of mockery, "Not suited? Mu Linjing, after all this time, this is the reason you've come up with? Do you know how cliché this reason is? Where in the world is there absolute suitability or absolute unsuitability?"
Mu Linjing's ability to say they were not suited indicated she understood her own feelings and intended to respond accordingly. This left Zhan Yichen bewildered. What could make her feel that they were not suited to be together?
"You've lived a life of privilege, how can you understand how tiring it is to look up to someone?"
Mu Linjing's words sounded a bit nonsensical, but Zhan Yichen understood. "You think we have a gap? Or is it because you feel there's a gap between you and Qiao Ningzhi?"
Mu Linjing smiled faintly. "Both, aren't they? The gap has always been there, and no matter how hard I chase, it doesn't shrink because it's innate. It's just my bad luck that I wasn't born into a wealthy family, that I can't have a high starting point, and that your family wouldn't consider me as a potential marriage alliance." kanshu.net
"I never wanted an arranged marriage, and my liking for you has nothing to do with money or status."
Although his words were sincere, to Mu Linjing, they sounded incredibly out of touch with reality.
"Would you care about something you've possessed since birth? These things are like a halo above your head. You can't see it, but doesn't it still sting others? You say it easily, you might not care, but I can't. Your family won't accept me either."
She had already guessed Wen Yulan's attitude and saw no point in humiliating herself. She had always believed that dating was for marriage. If she knew that even with all her efforts, they couldn't stay together, she'd rather never have had the资格 to even dream of it.
Zhan Yichen now understood the crux of the issue. However, as Mu Linjing said, he hadn't experienced it firsthand, so how could he truly empathize?
Therefore, when he said, "You don't need to worry about any of this, leave it to me, trust me," Mu Linjing had lost the desire to continue the conversation.
"Enough, Zhan Yichen. Feelings are between two people; one person's words are never enough. We are really not suited for each other."
"Not suited" again. Zhan Yichen had never realized how much he disliked those words. But she truly didn't know how to persuade Mu Linjing, so the driver's voice interrupted them.
They had arrived at the airport. The two got out of the car without saying a word, entering the airport like strangers. If Fang Xun hadn't booked adjacent seats for them, they might have spent the two-hour flight in silence and vexation.
Even as neighbors, Mu Linjing had no intention of speaking to Zhan Yichen. As soon as she got on the plane, she closed her eyes.
She couldn't possibly sleep when she was upset. Zhan Yichen knew she was deliberately avoiding him. But with things having reached this point, they seemed to be in a stalemate with no way out.
In Mu Linjing's words, their so-called unsuitability stemmed from the vast disparity between them. But how could such an innate gap ever be bridged? It was an unsolvable problem.
From boarding the plane to takeoff, they didn't speak for a long time, leaving Zhan Yichen frustrated.
Mu Linjing's eyes were closed, and she could clearly hear his sighs, one after another. Though she was also uncomfortable, what could she do?
After an unknown period, as they remained in a tense silence, a violent jolt of the plane caused Zhan Yichen to instinctively pull Mu Linjing into his arms, preventing her from hitting herself.
Immediately afterward, the emergency alarm blared through the cabin. They didn't know what the plane had hit, but thick black smoke now shrouded the sky outside.
"What's happening?"
Zhan Yichen knew the plane was malfunctioning. The alarm hadn't stopped, nor had the shaking subsided. This accident was likely not going to be easily resolved.
Tightening his arm around Mu Linjing, he pulled her closer to his waist. "No matter what happens next, hold onto me tightly, and don't let go."
Mu Linjing had also realized the seriousness of the situation. She obediently wrapped her arms around his waist. "What exactly is going on?"
"A major accident. We'll have to rely on our fate this time."
Zhan Yichen's tone was heavy. He had experienced numerous minor and major incidents on planes before, but this was the first time he had encountered such severe turbulence.
Furthermore, under normal circumstances, the flight attendants would have already come to soothe the passengers. The complete silence now suggested the situation was dire.
With one arm around Mu Linjing, he gently shifted his body to look out the window. Below them lay a vast, boundless ocean. Parachuting required a landing spot, but where could they land in the middle of the immense sea?
In this true moment of life and death, amidst the panicked cries of other passengers, Mu Linjing remained quietly nestled in his arms, motionless, biting her lip.
He could feel her rapid heartbeat; she was clearly terrified. Yet, she remained nestled in his embrace, which truly surprised him. "Mu Linjing, are you scared?"
Mu Linjing nodded heavily. "Of course, I'm scared. So, can you take me with you to survive?"
The will to survive is innate; no normal person wants to die. But in Zhan Yichen's arms, she only wanted to grit her teeth. Even if this were their last moment, she wanted to face it with dignity.
Zhan Yichen gently stroked her hair. "If we live, we live together. If we die, we die together. Mu Linjing, don't even think about pushing me away again."
His words at the brink of life and death almost made Mu Linjing's tears fall.
If someone was willing to gamble their life with her, how could she bear to let him concede before the game even began?
Zhan Yichen had freed one hand and retrieved a parachute, strapping it onto her. "Listen, you'll stay with me. Whether we live or die depends on our luck. When I tell you to jump, close your eyes and jump with me. Do you trust me?"
Mu Linjing looked at the hand he extended towards her and without hesitation placed her own hand in his. "My life is in your hands now."
Zhan Yichen smiled lightly and pulled her hand. "Mu Linjing, if we successfully escape this, we'll be together."