"We were classmates before, and I wanted to sit with him and chat a little..."
Tan Ying explained to Zhao Lin.
’So I’m the clown...’
For a mont, Zhao Lin’s smile turned bitter.
Still, he took a deep breath, kept the smile on his face, and composed himself.
As a seasoned playboy, the biggest thing that set him apart from spoiled rich kids and scumbags was his respect for a woman’s decision. He wouldn’t throw a tantrum or pester her endlessly.
"Oh, is that right? I didn’t expect you to run into a classmate here. That works out perfectly. I’ll go sit with your cousin. At least I’ll have soone to chat with on the way, haha."
Zhao Lin chuckled, stood up, and grabbed his bags. He even graciously helped Tan Ying stow her luggage before taking his own and leaving.
Anya, who had been watching from the sidelines, was surprised to see Zhao Lin walking toward her with his luggage.
"What are you doing over here?"
Anya asked, looking utterly confused.
Zhao Lin didn’t answer right away. Only after he had stowed his bags and settled into his seat did the smile completely vanish from his face. He sank into a gloomy state. ’Humiliating. So humiliating. Awkward. So damn awkward...’
"Uh... Get a grip!"
A dark look crossed Anya’s face as she slapped him on the arm.
"She said that guy is her classmate and wanted to switch seats with ..."
"But the weird thing is, the guy didn’t look like he knew her at all. He didn’t say a single word the entire ti. What do you think Tan Ying is up to? Does she really know him? Do you?"
Zhao Lin replayed the scene in his mind. Sothing felt off.
"A classmate? I’ve never heard Tan Ying ntion him."
"But she has been acting strangely today. I’ve never seen her like this before. It seems to have started when we got to the waiting lounge. I think that’s when she saw him."
Anya thought hard, and it felt like all the pieces were starting to fall into place.
’Is Tan Ying acting so strangely because of him?’
"Strangely?"
Zhao Lin’s brow furrowed slightly.
"It felt like... like soone seeing their secret crush? Or maybe a fan seeing their idol?"
Anya said, sounding a little uncertain.
"You’re saying that guy is probably Tan Ying’s crush?"
"No way. Other than having fair skin, that guy looks totally unremarkable. He’s got nothing on ."
Zhao Lin said in disbelief.
Anya rolled her eyes, ignoring Zhao Lin’s self-aggrandizing comnt. "It’s not necessarily about looks. I know Tan Ying’s personality, and looks aren’t what she cares about. Maybe sothing else about him appeals to her."
"She’s an art student, so maybe she’s drawn to sothing in that area. Maybe he’s a big shot in the art world? Or famous on campus? Both are possible."
"Hmm... you might have a point... But you really can’t tell just by looking at him. Who is this guy, anyway?"
Zhao Lin shook his head.
"Well, now you can give up. I, on the other hand, should keep an eye on things."
Anya said, discreetly turning her head to observe the pair.
"I’ll help you watch."
Not ready to give up, Zhao Lin also began to secretly watch them.
anwhile, Tan Ying finished stowing her luggage and gingerly sat down beside Zhou Yuanjue. She wanted to say sothing but didn’t know where to start.
THUMP-THUMP! THUMP-THUMP!
She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
In the past, she’d never understood how so of her classmates could be so fanatical about certain celebrities. She could never comprehend the screaming, the excitent, that irrepressible feeling.
But now, she thought she was finally beginning to understand.
"I..."
Just as she collected her thoughts, about to speak, a powerful wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over her.
In an instant, her body felt incredibly heavy. Her eyelids fluttered, as if weighted down with lead, and she couldn’t stop them from drooping shut.
’Why am I so sleepy all of a sudden...’
Tan Ying fought to keep her eyes open, but it was impossible.
"Ladies and gentlen, the plane is about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelts..."
A muffled voice echoed in her ears. Her vision and her consciousness were fading fast.
At the last mont, her gaze fell upon the figure beside her.
He had been staring out the window the entire ti, never once turning his head.
He seed so close, yet he was completely out of reach.
And then, she fell completely asleep.
With what amounted to a photographic mory, Zhou Yuanjue naturally rembered the young woman. In fact, he had noticed her staring at him back in the waiting lounge.
He just never expected to run into an "acquaintance" here.
But this wasn’t a good thing for either of them.
For him, it increased the risk of his identity being exposed. For her, getting too involved with him would only bring danger.
Though they lived in the sa country, they were people from two different worlds.
Most importantly, he hated unnecessary trouble.
Using his own magnetic field to influence her and make her sleep soundly until they reached their destination was a simple matter for him.
"Uh... She fell asleep? What’s up with that?"
Anya and Zhao Lin, who had been watching in secret, were stunned. ’I thought they were going to talk?’
"What happened? Should we go check on her?"
Zhao Lin asked.
"Forget it. The plane’s about to take off. Besides, we’re right here. As long as we keep an eye on her, nothing will happen."
Anya said, shaking her head.
"Okay."
Zhao Lin nodded.
...
...
In a daze, she had no idea how long she had spent in the Dream Realm.
Tan Ying felt a shaking, accompanied by a voice calling out to her. In her groggy state, she recognized it as her cousin, Anya.
"Tan Ying, wake up! We’ve landed!"
Anya said, shaking Tan Ying. The others from their small photography group were also looking at her with concern.
Tan Ying’s eyes snapped open, and she rembered everything.
She whipped her head around, only to see the empty seat beside her. It felt like a dream.
She bit her lip, a flicker of disappointnt in her eyes.
"Was that really your classmate? How did he slip away so quietly? Who is he, anyway? Why do you get like this around him?"
Anya asked, frowning.
"He..."
Tan Ying opened her mouth, then shook her head without saying anything more. She stood up and began to gather her things.
Seeing that she didn’t want to talk, the others didn’t press her. The group grabbed their bags and started to deplane.
Soon, they walked out of the terminal doors into a bustling crowd of tourists from all over the world. Even the airport taxis had a unique local flavor.
"Let’s hurry and get a cab to the hotel. I’m dead tired after flying for over ten hours," Zhao Lin said with a stretch. The others nodded in agreent. Suddenly, Anya pointed in a direction. "Hey, Tan Ying," she said, "isn’t that your classmate over there?"
Tan Ying’s head snapped in the direction Anya was pointing, and sure enough, she saw Zhou Yuanjue.
Zhao Lin and the others couldn’t help but look over as well, their curiosity piqued.
An incredibly flashy, top-of-the-line luxury car pulled up in front of Zhou Yuanjue. Its design was so striking it reminded them of a superhero’s vehicle from a movie.
Several burly n in suits and sunglasses stepped out. Even their tailored suits couldn’t conceal their steel-like muscles, and they exuded a fierce, intimidating aura.
Then, they watched as these hulking n bowed deeply to the slender, fair-skinned, ordinary-looking young man with the backpack, ushering him respectfully into the luxury car.
It wasn’t until the luxury car drove off and vanished from sight that the group snapped out of their daze.
"Who in the world *is* your classmate?!"
Anya couldn’t help but ask Tan Ying.
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