Chapter Sixty-five: The Romance of the Helicopter

"Brother Hao, these people are just too rude. Let’s not stoop to their level.”

“Hmph! If it weren’t for the meteor shower tonight, I’d have already taught him a lesson.”

Xie Hao, following the path Wang Min had paved for him, grumbled as he stepped down, but the look he cast at Wang Min now carried a subtle change from before.

“Why aren’t Sitong and that loser here yet?” Wang Min seemed determined to shift everyone’s attention onto Ye Qiu and Fu Sitong. “We told them long ago to just take the car with us, but they insisted on acting all aloof. Now look, we’re stuck waiting for them.”

Xie Hao shot a glance at Fu Fan. “It’s not Sitong’s fault. It’s that Ye guy. If he hadn’t insisted on showing off, Sitong wouldn’t have wanted to climb the mountain alone. She would’ve come with us from the start.”

“Exactly! That useless guy just had to tag along to the meteor shower. What does he know anyway? If it weren’t for Wan’er’s sake, I’d have kicked him out ages ago.”

With their complaints now focused entirely on Ye Qiu, their energy soon waned. After a few minutes of cursing, the real issue became apparent: all the best spots had already been taken, leaving them to watch others barbecue in envy. The question remained—what now?

“Forget it, let’s just find somewhere to sit. I’m exhausted.”

All the benches and stones in the mountain pavilion were occupied. Lin Wan’er and Xia Zhu sat on the steps, gazing longingly at the RVs and bonfires, the aroma of grilled skewers drifting in on the evening breeze.

Xia Zhu patted her stomach. “Little tummy, you want some lamb skewers too, don’t you?”

Fu Fan stood up. “You girls drink some water first. I’ll see if anyone’s selling snacks.”

“That’s all we can do,” Xia Zhu sighed, just as she picked up her water bottle. Lin Wan’er grabbed her hand, startled, and pointed at the deep blue sky in amazement. “Whoa, what’s that?”

Frustrated, Fu Fan stomped her foot, but still looked up reflexively.

A rhythmic thudding grew louder. The helicopter’s rotors cut through the air with a roar, gradually coming into view.

Slowly, the aircraft descended.

The wind whipped around, causing the crowd to sway. As the helicopter neared the ground, people began to stand and step aside.

“Damn it, who does this guy think he is, putting on such a show?”

“Son of a bitch, you made me spill water all over myself. You’d better not land here, or I’ll mess you up.”

“It’s just a lousy helicopter rental. What a pretentious clown.”

“Big deal. I’ll rent one tomorrow myself.”

While the men muttered and cursed, the women’s eyes sparkled with envy and longing.

“So romantic! If anyone did something like this for me, I’d marry him in a heartbeat.”

“Whose rich son is this? If only he’d notice me.”

“If I were younger, I wouldn’t mind giving him a chance to meet me.”

For the men in couples, things were even worse—their girlfriends were quick to drop pointed complaints.

“Look at that! Why can’t you be more thoughtful? Coming to see the meteor shower by helicopter—how romantic.”

“I’ve been telling you to have some ambition. You won’t even splurge for a rickshaw. It’s not about the money, it’s about the gesture, and you can’t even manage that.”

Despite all the grumbling, everyone craned their necks, eager to see what kind of important person would emerge from the helicopter.

“It’s just a helicopter rental. What a spectacle,” Xie Hao muttered sourly, eyes fixed on the descending aircraft. “I’d like to see which big shot from Linhai this is.”

Fu Fan chimed in, “Probably some good-for-nothing nouveau riche. What normal person would do this? Just asking for trouble.”

“Let it be some official’s spoiled kid—let the angry crowd see how this bastard is wasting his old man’s money,” Xie Hao spat on the ground in contempt.

It was infuriating.

“If someone like that walked up to me in front of everyone and knelt down to confess his love, I’d agree on the spot,” Lin Wan’er announced, only making Xie Hao more agitated, his features twisting in frustration.

“It looks like Ye Qiu and Sitong,” Tong Fangjin said, pointing at the couple stepping out of the helicopter.

The man strode out of the cabin with a dash of flair, gentlemanly offering his arm to his companion, shielding her from embarrassment before the crowd.

“So romantic—and so gentlemanly. And he’s incredibly handsome! If he were my boyfriend, I’d gladly shave ten years off my simps’ lives.”

“Handsome and loaded—don’t even think about competing with me, girls. He’s mine.”

Ye Qiu had no idea he’d just won himself a legion of female fans. Fu Sitong’s face was red as an apple, overwhelmed by the attention, and she kept trying to hide behind Ye Qiu.

“Sitong, is that really you?” Wang Min was the first to rush over, basking in everyone’s gaze as she took Fu Sitong’s hand, suddenly acting like her closest friend—though her glances at Ye Qiu betrayed her astonishment.

“Little sister, if you didn’t want to take the tandem bike, you could’ve just said so. Why waste money and let some outsider steal the spotlight?” Fu Fan scolded, glaring at Fu Sitong. “Our family’s money isn’t for you to squander.”

“It wasn’t me,” Fu Sitong hurried to explain. “There’s a flying club nearby, and Ye Qiu’s friend happens to run it.”

“You know Young Master Tian?” Xie Hao stared at Ye Qiu in shock.

Young Master Tian—the real deal. A true second-generation elite, with connections in government and business alike. The private flying club near the park was his.

He’d tried to break into that circle before, but never even got a glance from them.

Ye Qiu shrugged. “No, I don’t know him.”

Relief washed over Xie Hao. I knew it. How could a loser like you possibly know someone like Young Master Tian?

“Then renting a helicopter must’ve cost a fortune.” Xie Hao clapped Ye Qiu on the shoulder. “Man, you’re really going all out just to win Sitong’s heart, huh? Let me give you some advice: don’t waste your time.”

Xia Zhu and Lin Wan’er eyed Ye Qiu warily, while Fu Fan glared at him, fists clenched.

“That’s not it!” Fu Sitong anxiously tried to defend Ye Qiu. “Mr. Tian offered the ride when he heard Ye Qiu needed transportation. We didn’t pay anything.”

“What?” Xie Hao gaped at Fu Sitong in disbelief.

He knew she wouldn’t lie.

How was this possible?

Young Master Tian, going out of his way to help this Ye guy?

Ye Qiu ignored the group’s bewildered stares and looked at Fu Sitong with a wry smile. “Silly girl, nothing comes more expensive than what’s given for free.”

“But… how could that be?” Fu Sitong looked at him with wide, puzzled eyes, half-understanding his words.