"You!"
"Hurry and pack. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. If you don't want to go, or if you're still clinging to foolish hopes, then we have nothing more to discuss."
With that, Zhan Beijue grabbed Jiang Nan Fang and prepared to leave.
Old Shen quickly called out to him, "Don't go yet!"
Zhan Beijue turned back, his gaze cold and hard as he looked at him.
Old Shen put on a shameless expression.
"Old Pan still has some money he hasn't paid back. Didn't you say you'd give it to him when you returned? Should I call him to come over now?"
Zhan Beijue and Jiang Nan Fang spent the night at a hotel in town.
The next morning at seven o'clock, they arrived at Min'er's home punctually.
Although she hated him verbally, viewing him as a heartless scoundrel who betrayed Min'er and broke his promises, her body was honest.
The family had already packed everything they needed.
Zhan Beijue had people load their belongings into the car, taking them to the city center for a good wash and change of clothes, before heading directly to the airport.
After washing up and changing into clean clothes, it was true that a hint of their former noble bearing could be seen on them.
It was the first time Zhan Beijue saw Min'er in a dress.
Her hair was washed clean, falling onto her shoulders, her small face pale.
A white dress paired with small black leather shoes, her slender arms and legs gave her the appearance of a lady.
However, her hands were too aged and greasy. Min'er remained somewhat unconfident.
"You're quite pretty. A young girl should look like a young girl. Lift your head, everything will get better from now on."
Zhan Beijue looked at her with admiration and walked over to pat her shoulder.
Min'er finally gained a little more confidence.
Zhan Beijue praised her beauty, telling her she was still young and that perhaps, things would indeed get better in the future.
As they entered the airport, everyone held their breath, fearing their mother might suddenly have a breakdown and cause trouble.
Fortunately, Min'er managed to calm her down, and without incident, they successfully boarded the plane.
Zhan Beijue's seat was next to Jiang Nan Fang's.
Min'er and her mother were separated from them by an aisle.
Her father sat alone in front of Zhan Beijue.
There was a feeling of nearing the successful completion of a mission.
Once seated on the plane and with their seatbelts fastened, they felt the aircraft slowly ascend above the city, embarking on their journey to China.
Jiang Nan Fang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhan Beijue was back, completely back.
Their family could finally be reunited forever.
Heaven rewards the persistent.
Zhan Beijue turned to speak softly to Jiang Nan Fang.
"Want to get some sleep? Nothing else is going to happen, I'll watch over things from here. You didn't sleep at all last night, I know."
Fearing any unforeseen changes, Jiang Nan Fang had indeed been unable to sleep all night.
She thought Zhan Beijue was asleep, not realizing he knew everything.
Being doted on by him felt wonderful.
Covering herself with the blanket and resting her head on his shoulder, Jiang Nan Fang couldn't help but smile sweetly.
"I am indeed tired and want to sleep. I'll sleep then."
"It's still early, why don't you sleep too? We can sleep together."
"I'm not tired, sleep. I'll watch over you."
Under the blanket, they held hands, snuggling closely together.
With a sense of peace in her heart, Jiang Nan Fang soon fell asleep.
She suddenly woke up, startled by a violent jolt.
Terrifying alarm sounds echoed through the cabin, and the surrounding passengers were whispering.
Jiang Nan Fang opened her eyes and saw Zhan Beijue looking at her.
"What's wrong?"
"Did I wake you? It's nothing."
Zhan Beijue's expression was calm.
"We've probably hit some turbulence. It's a bit bumpy, but it will pass."
Turbulence, she encountered it often, it was nothing significant.
She nodded, sat up straight, and just as she was folding the blanket, she heard the flight attendant's voice on the intercom, trying to calm everyone.
On an international flight, most passengers were seasoned travelers and weren't easily alarmed by turbulence.
The whispers quickly quieted down, and everyone closed their eyes, preparing to rest again. Suddenly, the plane lurched violently to the left.
A wave of gasps erupted from the crowd, accompanied by a series of crackling sounds, and the oxygen masks above their heads dropped down.
"This is serious? Is something going to happen?"
A flight attendant emerged, telling everyone not to panic, to put on their oxygen masks, and that the captain was doing his best, and they would be fine once they passed this section.
However, as she spoke, the plane swayed even more violently.
Because she hadn't fastened her seatbelt, she fell to the floor.
Before anyone could reach out to help her, the plane jolted again, flinging her several meters away.
This time, everyone lost their composure, and cries of alarm spread through the crowd.
The chief flight attendant came out again, telling everyone not to panic, not to move, and she tried to help the fallen flight attendant.
Suddenly, Min'er let out a piercing scream.
"Mom, don't move! What are you doing, Mom!"
It turned out that her mother, stimulated by the scene, had suddenly started to have an episode.
She fumbled with her seatbelt and shouted that she wanted to run out, and Min'er couldn't hold her back.
She stood up unsteadily and left her seat.
"I want to go home. It's so scary here, what are you all doing? I'm so scared, let me out, I want to go home..."
The chief flight attendant rushed towards her.
"Go back! Go back and sit down! Fasten your seatbelt, and don't move!"
But as she spoke, the plane underwent an even more violent roll, and both the chief flight attendant and Min'er's mother were thrown to the ground with a crash.
"Mom!"
Min'er reached out to unbuckle her seatbelt.
Zhan Beijue beat her to it, "Don't move!"
"Sit still. Don't get up, I'll go."
His head hit the seat hard, causing a gash.
His mother lay on the floor shouting.
"Ah, I'm bleeding, someone wants to kill me, help, Min'er, hurry and save Mom, get me out of here. I want to go home, it's so terrifying here!"
Like a disaster movie, in an instant, children's cries, parents' comforting words, and everyone's chatter created a chaotic scene.
When the turbulence slightly subsided, Zhan Beijue slowly stood up.
He squeezed past Min'er, holding onto the seats as he walked, and began to comfort his mother.
"Auntie, don't be afraid. I'm coming to take you back. It'll be alright soon, we'll go find Min'er."
"Be good, give me your hand."
Min'er's mother recognized him and slowly raised her hand to offer it.
Zhan Beijue pulled her up, cradled her, and slowly walked back.
Just as they were about to reach the seats, a more intense alarm blared through the cabin.
"Buzz—buzz—buzz—"
Outside the window, a burning object flashed past their eyes.
A passenger shouted, "The plane is on fire! It looks like something fell off!"
Zhan Beijue pushed Min'er's mother back into her seat with all his might. Before he could even secure himself to the seat, a strange force struck him.
He was like a fallen leaf blown by the wind, first floating into the air, then crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Sir! Sir!"
"Is there a doctor on the plane? He seems to have fainted!"