Yang Liuyi's face flushed slightly, and she deliberately kept a straight face as she said:
"Sir, this is a normal internal work adjustment within our company. Do you have any further questions? If not, please move forward and don't obstruct the boarding of the passengers behind you!"
Chen Yang looked back at the empty jet bridge in surprise. The VIP waiting room passengers had all boarded early. Where were the other passengers besides Chen Yang? However, there was a flight attendant with a professional smile beside Yang Liuyi, so Chen Yang didn't ask too many questions. He simply said "Oh" and walked straight to his seat in first class, full of questions.
Yang Liuyi watched Chen Yang's back, a wave of shyness rising in her heart. After flying a flight yesterday, Yang Liuyi overheard her colleagues on the ground chatting at the airport, saying that they would finally see the legendary lifetime VIP tomorrow. She immediately took note and went over to ask a few questions. Since they were all colleagues from the same company, Yang Liuyi quickly found out the flight number of the flight Chen Yang was taking today.
Yang Liuyi herself didn't know what she was thinking. She was supposed to fly to Jinan today, but somehow she switched shifts with the colleague flying Chen Yang's flight. When Chen Yang asked about it, Yang Liuyi felt a pang of guilt and deliberately gave a formulaic answer.
After the plane leveled off, Chen Yang saw Yang Liuyi again, dressed in a well-fitting flight attendant uniform and lightly made up. She knelt down beside him and softly asked,
"Sir, what would you like to drink?"
Chen Yang turned his head. Yang Liuyi's kneeling height was about the same as his sitting height, allowing him to look her in the eye. Chen Yang asked:
"Sister Liu Yi, I remember clearly, when you left Huanhuan with me last time, you told me you were going to fly twice, first to Sanya, and then immediately to Quancheng today. How did you end up on this flight? Don't tell me you switched shifts specifically for me..."
Chen Yang's smile turned mischievous as he spoke, deliberately leering at Yang Liu Yi. Normally, Yang Liu Yi would have feigned disdain and denied it outright. But today, she blushed unusually and whispered:
"Don't talk nonsense, a colleague asked me to switch shifts! She said she had some business to take care of in Quancheng!"
"Oh..." Chen Yang was a little disappointed, then added, "Sister Liu Yi, there are only three or four passengers in first class. Why don't you walk around for a bit and then come chat with me? Flying is so boring!"
"Stop it, I have work to do..." Yang Liu Yi gave Chen Yang a charming glance, then stood up and walked away. A sweet, secret joy stirred within her. When Chen Yang spoke to Yang Liuyi in a childlike, affectionate tone, she always felt a strange flutter in her heart.
Throughout the flight, the two didn't exchange many words, but occasional eye contact sent ripples through Yang Liuyi's heart. Until the plane landed smoothly at Beijing International Airport, Yang Liuyi stood at the cabin door, looking at Chen Yang who had just waved goodbye with a bright smile, a sweet smile playing on her lips.
Chen Yang stepped out of the Beijing International Airport terminal, took a deep breath of the city's air, and looking at the familiar scenery before him, he shouted in his heart: Beijing, I'm back!
Chen Yang took a taxi from the airport straight to the Emperor Hotel, where he had booked a single room two days in advance. After checking into the hotel, Chen Yang put down his luggage, took a cold shower, and then took the Shoushan stone from his suitcase and put it in his backpack. After thinking for a moment, he also packed the doll into his bag; he wasn't comfortable leaving such a precious item in the hotel.
Chen Yang first had a simple lunch at the buffet restaurant on the first floor, then picked up his bag and prepared to visit Master Baiyan.
It was already midday, and the mid-to-late July sun was intense. When Chen Yang stepped out of the hotel, he felt his eyes were almost blinded by the light. He got into a taxi waiting for passengers at the hotel entrance, gave the driver an address, and then leaned back in the back seat to rest his eyes.
"Coming right!" the driver said cheerfully. Chen Yang's destination was in Dayi District on the outskirts of Beijing, outside the Fifth Ring Road. This was a big fare; no wonder the driver was so happy.
...
More than an hour later, Chen Yang stood at the entrance of Master Baiyan's small courtyard in the Dayi District. He was intimately familiar with every blade of grass and every tree here. In his previous life, he had lived here for a time, spending his days reading and painting with the master, leading an incredibly comfortable life. Now, returning to this familiar place, everything had changed, but thankfully, Master Baiyan was still his teacher.
With excitement, Chen Yang stepped forward and gently knocked on the door knocker. A moment later, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Master Baiyan, dressed in a white silk robe, his almost entirely white hair meticulously combed, stood radiantly at the entrance. Upon seeing Chen Yang, the old man revealed a genuine smile:
"Little Chen Yang! Come in quickly!"
Chen Yang bowed deeply to Master Baiyan and respectfully said:
"Teacher, today I finally see this courtyard I've longed for! It's exactly as I imagined… no, even more otherworldly than I imagined, untouched by the world's clamor, truly a paradise!"
This was the very courtyard Chen Yang had depicted in his painting during his final duel with Yan Huiming in the calligraphy and painting competition. The dilapidated gate, the lush grape trellis, the lazy yellow dog… everything familiar from his past life unfolded before Chen Yang, giving him the feeling of being in a dream. Master Baiyan stroked his beard and laughed, patting Chen Yang's head affectionately,
"Chen Yang, now that you're here with your teacher, it's like coming home. Come in and sit down! Don't be shy!"
"Yes, teacher!" Chen Yang replied.
The two walked into the courtyard together. Under the grape trellis, nestled in the green shade, were two chairs, a small tea table, and a pot of tea, its steam rising gently. After the two sat down, Chen Yang took out the Shoushan stone from his bag and placed it on the coffee table, respectfully saying:
"Teacher, before coming here, I searched for this piece at the Shoushan stone market in Rongcheng. This is my first visit, and it's a small token of my appreciation. I hope you won't find it offensive!"
Bai Yan put on his reading glasses and carefully examined the Shoushan stone Chen Yang brought. His eyes showed delight, and he exclaimed repeatedly:
"Excellent! Excellent! It's top-quality Tianhuang! Little Chen Yang, it must have cost you a lot, right?"
Chen Yang grinned and said:
"Hehe, Teacher, it wasn't much… It's mainly because your carving skills are superb. Since I saw such a fine piece of Tianhuang stone, I naturally couldn't bear to let it be ruined by mediocre craftsmen, so I bought it to give to you. I also hope that through your hands, I can appreciate a masterpiece in the future!"
Chen Yang's flattery was flawless, and Bai Yan laughed heartily. The master had little concept of money, and since it was a gift from his disciple, he accepted it happily without much ceremony.
Watching his close disciple skillfully pour him tea, Master Baiyan asked:
"Chen Yang, you didn't come to the capital just to see this old man, did you?"
Chen Yang carefully put down the purple clay teapot, nodded, and said:
"Master, I'm here to attend a friend's birthday party..."
"Is it a girl?" Master Baiyan took a sip of tea and continued to ask with a smile.
Chen Yang had no reason to hide anything from Master Baiyan and nodded directly:
"Yes, Master, she's Grandpa Xu's granddaughter, named Xu Qingya."
Chen Yang couldn't help but pause for a moment when he mentioned Xu Qingya's name. In his past life, after confirming their relationship, Chen Yang brought Xu Qingya back to Beijing to visit Bai Yan. It was in this very courtyard that day that Master Bai Yan, seeing the two young people, beamed with joy, repeatedly saying they were a perfect match. He even personally wrote the four characters "鸾凤和鸣" (Luan Feng He Ming, meaning "Auspicious Union of Phoenixes") and presented them to the couple. Until the flight accident in his past life, Chen Yang hung this calligraphy in the most prominent place in his air force dormitory in Rongcheng.
Now, Chen Yang has been reborn. Seeing these objects brings back memories. His fiancée from his past life has been betrothed by her family to a lecherous and arrogant playboy, while he, though from a somewhat aristocratic family, has a mother who was abandoned by her family. Their social status is now vastly different, and Chen Yang's path to reclaiming everything that belongs to him is undoubtedly fraught with difficulty.
"Oh, it's the little girl from the Xu family!" Master Bai Yan glanced at Chen Yang's complex expression and nodded thoughtfully.
After that, Master Baiyan didn't bring up the topic again, but instead chatted enthusiastically with Chen Yang about calligraphy and painting. The old man was naturally lively, and when he talked about art, he was even more witty and eloquent. This was the first time Chen Yang had heard his teacher's teachings since his rebirth, and he listened with great interest.
The teacher and student chatted until evening before they knew it. Chen Yang naturally stayed to have dinner with Master Baiyan—or more accurately, to have noodles with him.
Master Baiyan took care of his own daily life and wasn't particularly picky about food. He didn't prepare anything special for Chen Yang's visit, just two bowls of noodles. The teacher and student ate the fragrant noodles with soybean paste while chatting, enjoying a pleasant time together.
After dinner, Chen Yang eagerly cleared the table, sat for a while longer, and then got up to leave. The old man was getting on in years and usually went to bed early, so Chen Yang didn't want to disturb him too much.
After returning to the hotel, Chen Yang quickly washed up and went straight to sleep. He was exhausted after a two-and-a-half-hour flight and going directly to Master Bai Yan's house without a midday rest.
The next morning, around nine o'clock, Chen Yang finished getting ready. Wearing his Jack & Jones casual outfit and carrying a raccoon plush toy already wrapped in a gift box, he hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Xu family villa in the western suburbs of Beijing.