Half an hour later, Shen Lang and Shi Wuxie passed security and boarded the plane.
Shi Wuxie had purchased an economy class ticket, while Shen Lang's seat was not next to hers. Shen Lang was seated by the window, in the aisle, while Shi Wuxie's seat was diagonally opposite him.
Once on board, Shi Wuxie leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest, but she held the bamboo flute tightly in her hand.
Seeing Shi Wuxie's eyes closed and her quiet demeanor, Shen Lang was taken aback.
This woman was like a pure white lotus blooming silently, so clean and sacred that one could only admire her from afar, never daring to trifle with her.
Wang Yuyan was still young. If she were another seven or eight years older, she would probably be similar to Shi Wuxie.
Shi Wuxie's beauty might be a shade less than Wang Yuyan's, but her cold, aloof aura was far superior to Wang Yuyan's.
And it was precisely this characteristic that made Shi Wuxie so captivating.
Shen Lang quietly observed Shi Wuxie for half a minute before returning his gaze to the book in his hands.
Before coming, worried about boredom on the flight, Shen Lang had specifically brought a book.
The book was titled "Brothers," bought by Yu Xiao. Shen Lang found it very interesting and decided to bring it along.
The story in this book was captivating, with thrilling plot twists, simple and humorous language, and content that evoked both laughter and tears. Shen Lang was engrossed, and before he knew it, half an hour had passed.
Shen Lang noticed his eyes were getting tired. He used a bookmark to mark his page and prepared to rest for a few minutes. He glanced at Shi Wuxie, wondering if she was still sleeping.
However, this glance startled Shen Lang.
Shen Lang saw that Shi Wuxie, who had been resting with her eyes closed, had fallen asleep. At that moment, a portly man sitting next to her was using a fishing hook tied to a line to stealthily try to steal the bamboo flute from her hand.
The fishing hook was threaded through the flute's holes. As the portly man gradually pulled the line, the bamboo flute was soon halfway out of Shi Wuxie's grasp.
But what the portly man hadn't anticipated was that Shi Wuxie had a string of small bells tied to her wrist. As he used the fishing hook to tug at the flute, Shi Wuxie's wrist moved, and the bells tinkled.
The moment the bells rang, Shi Wuxie jolted awake. Instinctively, she clutched the bamboo flute and yelled at the portly man, "Why are you trying to steal my bamboo flute?"
Shi Wuxie's cry not only startled the portly man but also caused the other passengers in the cabin to jump.
Instantly, everyone's eyes were fixed on the portly man and Shi Wuxie.
Seeing this, the portly man's face changed. He quickly pulled back the fishing hook and concealed it in his sleeve.
His movements were so swift, and the crowd hadn't yet reacted to look at the hook, so no one understood what had happened.
Deprived of evidence, the portly man's face turned fierce. He stood up, pointed at Shi Wuxie, and said, "What are you talking about? Me stealing your flute? Are you kidding me? This flute is worth a few dollars. Why would I steal it? Am I crazy?"
Hearing this, the other passengers looked at the bamboo flute in Shi Wuxie's hand. They saw that it wasn't made of any special bamboo, nor was it a masterpiece from some renowned craftsman.
It was just an ordinary bamboo flute, carved from common green bamboo. At best, it would sell for ten or eight yuan in the market.
Who would be interested in such a flute, let alone try to steal it on a plane?
"Young lady, I'll tell you, it's fine to seek fame, but don't do it in such a sensational way."
With no evidence against him, the portly man's confidence surged. He barked at Shi Wuxie, "A senior student at a certain university claimed she was sexually harassed because a junior student's backpack pendant brushed against her. She posted everywhere online and almost ruined that person's life."
"What, are you going to do the same, ruin someone else's life just for your own fame?"
The portly man's righteous indignation caused the passengers, who were unaware of the situation, to nod in agreement.
Yes, that senior student from the university was indeed detestable, but there were too many such people these days, with no bottom line in their pursuit of fame, resorting to any means necessary.
To gain fame, they would sell their bodies, but they would also readily slander, defame, and frame others. In short, they would do anything to attract attention.
Alas, the passengers present were already accustomed to such chaotic and strange phenomena. After casting a contemptuous glance at Shi Wuxie, they shifted their gaze away, losing all interest in the matter.
"You..."
Shi Wuxie never expected someone so shameless to exist, someone who, after being caught stealing, could so shamelessly smear another person. For a moment, she was so enraged that she couldn't speak.
After a long pause, Shi Wuxie spoke again, saying, "Does the value of this bamboo flute have anything to do with whether you stole it or not?"
"Just now, you tried to steal my bamboo flute. It was only because the wrist bells on my hand rang that you failed. Apologize. You must apologize."
Shi Wuxie looked at the scratch left on the bamboo flute by the sharp fishing hook, her entire body filled with indignation, and said.
"I say, are you sick in the head? Are you addicted to falsely accusing people?"
Seeing that Shi Wuxie was relentless, the portly man became furious and said, "Do you know who I am? Would I covet your cheap flute?"
The portly man roared, "I am Zhou Jian, the biological son of the CEO of Tenglong Group. With my status, would I steal a worthless flute like yours?"
"What?"
"Zhou Jian?"
Hearing the portly man reveal his identity, the passengers present were all greatly astonished.
Zhou Jian, the biological son of the CEO of Tenglong Group, was a true rich heir.
Tenglong Group dominated the southern region with countless industries, including this airline.
As the sole heir to the family, Zhou Jian's name was known to everyone.
However, this fame was not for good reasons.
Zhou Jian enjoyed dating internet celebrities, but he was even more promiscuous than Wang Gongzi, changing girlfriends about once a week. Thus, he was constantly involved in scandals.
Yet, no one expected someone of Zhou Jian's stature to choose to fly economy class, dressed in ordinary clothes, looking like a typical "fat otaku." No wonder no one recognized him earlier.
"Young Master Zhou, why are you flying economy class?"
Upon hearing Zhou Jian reveal his identity, several flight attendants immediately surrounded him, smiling obsequiously.
"I don't like first class, so I swapped tickets with someone. Is there a problem?"
Zhou Jian said angrily to the flight attendants, "This is my first time flying economy, and I didn't expect to be falsely accused of stealing. What bad luck. You deal with it however you see fit."
"Certainly, Young Master Zhou. Please wait a moment. We will definitely give you a satisfactory answer."
The flight attendants smiled fawningly, nodded, and then turned their cold gazes towards Shi Wuxie, saying, "Miss, please apologize. Immediately. Now."