Chapter 1: Chance Encounter at the Airport Upon Returning Home

Chapter 1 Chance Encounter at the Airport

Year 2435 of the Star Calendar, Blue Star.

Philos Empire.

At 9:10 PM, a private flight from the southern hemisphere soared over the Philos Empire and slowly descended at the major air terminal in the northern suburbs of the imperial capital, Aurora.

The cabin door opened, and Qi Heyin, assisted by her attendants, stepped off the plane before settling into a custom wheelchair, which was then pushed toward the VIP passage.

The night was already deep. After over a dozen hours of long-distance travel and reviewing numerous research materials and documents mid-flight, Qi Heyin was faintly exhausted.

She leaned back in the wheelchair, her head slightly lowered, her face showing clear exhaustion. Her jet-black hair cascaded down, veiling her slender profile, her whole body like a dead battery.

Noticing Qi Heyin’s drowsiness, the nurse pushing her wheelchair paused to gently draped a light blanket over her before pressing the back of her hand against Qi Heyin’s forehead to check her temperature.

Murmuring a drowsy “thank you,” Qi Heyin soon drifted into deep sleep.

The nurse looked at her fondly.

Having spent nearly two years together, she had come to regard this girl as a younger sister in her heart. To her, Qi Heyin was a sweet, well-mannered girl—despite her noble background, she carried none of the arrogance of a spoiled rich girl. She treated the entire medical team with warmth, never bossing people around like the upper-class figures the Nurse had dealt with before.

She was also strikingly beautiful, with raven hair and snow-white skin, like a beauty straight from an anime—the kind of eternal, untouchable first crush in campus romance stories.

But her body was painfully fragile, her pale brows always tinged with quiet sadness, like a wilting flower—likely the result of years of battling illness.

The nurse recalled hearing from colleagues that, back home, Qi Heyin had spent almost all her time between hospitals and home.

Even so, she had still excelled academically, achieving results few could ever match.

Why would someone so bright and kind be afflicted with such a terrifying illness?

At this thought, the nurse couldn’t help but feel grateful: Thankfully, they had the brilliant Dr. Wen. After overseeing a two-year intensive treatment at a private hospital in Axos, Southern Continent, he had finally given this long-suffering girl a glimpse of hope.

Snapping out of her thoughts, the nurse bent down to carefully tuck the blanket around Qi Heyin before continuing to push the wheelchair through the VIP passage.

She had just received word that the Qi family had arranged a private escort to meet them at the underground parking lot.

But unexpectedly, the moment their group stepped out of the VIP passage, they walked right into a sea of people.

This was supposed to be a private VIP pickup area! Why were there so many people in this underground parking lot?

The nurse’s eyes widened in disbelief. The sheer size of the crowd made her uneasy. She pulled the wheelchair back slightly, signaling the bodyguards behind her to step forward and shield the girl from any jostling.

The clamor of voices swirled around them, a chaotic blend of footsteps and noise. The commotion soon roused Qi Heyin from her brief sleep.

Her eyes fluttered open, amber eyes fluttering weakly beneath her lashes as she gazed ahead in confusion.

First, the towering, silent figures of the bodyguards stood like a mountain before her. Then, through the gaps between them, Qi Heyin caught glimpses of bobbing heads and the long and short lenses of cameras raised in their direction.

The incessant flashes of countless cameras lit up the dim parking lot, turning it nearly as bright as daylight.

...What was going on?

Bewildered, Qi Heyin turned to the nurse, who was now speaking into a communicator with a hint of urgency, describing the situation:

“Yes, Mr. Qi, we’ve brought Miss Qi out.”

“There’s a huge crowd in the parking lot—the passage is blocked—”

"We're stuck here—can't get to the car right now."

"...Copy that, President Qi. We'll keep Miss Qi safe and avoid any stampedes or shoving."

Hanging up the comm, she gave Qi Heyin a reassuring smile: "Miss Qi, we'll wait here for a bit. President Qi's group will be here any minute."

The "President Qi" the nurse referred to was Qi Heyin's elder sister, Qi Yue. A good ten years older, she had struck out on her own, establishing a company.

Qi Heyin nodded without objection. Eyeing the crowd in the distance, she asked curiously, "What's all this about?"

The nurse hesitated briefly before answering, "...President Qi said these are all entertainment media. They're probably here hunting for a scoop."

"A scoop?" Qi Heyin understood. "Are they waiting for some celebrity?"

"Most likely." The nurse shook her head helplessly and murmured, "These vultures, chasing people all the way underground..."

"What kind of security does Svarog Airport even have? Paps sneaking into the VIP parking lot—how is guest privacy protected?"

"I'm filing a complaint with City Hall about you media types!"

"Completely stuck! The path is jam-packed!"

Nearby, other VIP guests in the parking lot started complaining loudly.

After waiting another five minutes amid the growing commotion, Qi Heyin suddenly looked up, sensing something. Sure enough, she spotted a tall figure emerging from another VIP passage not far away.

Surrounded by dozens of bodyguards, the person strode briskly toward the gathered crowd.

The first thing that caught her eye was an unrestrained flash of fire-engine red.

The approaching man had fire-engine red hair, with messy sideburns in a choppy, punk-inspired cut. His bangs fell carelessly over his forehead, yet even that bold red couldn't compete with his striking beauty beneath.

His eyes were heterochromatic—one black, one red—with a faint red teardrop mole beneath the crimson iris. His features were deep-set: sharp brows, a high nose bridge, and an overall face so strikingly dramatic it resembled a lavish painting.

For the first time, Qi Heyin found herself wanting to describe someone—a man, no less—as "gorgeous."

His outfit was even louder than his looks.

Tall and imposing, he wore an expensive pure-black leather jacket studded with diamond studs, the collar left casually open. Underneath was a white deep-V ripped shirt that gave glimpses of his ripped abs as he moved. His lower half was clad in dark gray cargo pants, crisscrossed with silver chains around the waist, paired with skull-embossed punk boots that jingled with each step.

Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings... The man was dripping in bling that glittered blindingly under the barrage of camera flashes.

The glare made Qi Heyin blink, closing her eyes briefly.

When she reopened them, the man was nearly upon them. The media, having waited for this moment, locked onto his movements. Cameras started rolling live as entertainment reporters rushed forward with microphones.

"Master Ji! The night before last, you were photographed entering a hotel with socialite Xie Qingyuan. Are the rumors of your relationship true?"

"Master Ji, netizens on CONT found multiple matching items between you and Xie Qingyuan, even what appears to be couple's rings posted by her suspected alt account. It's said she's your childhood sweetheart—a long-time crush finally realized. What's your response?"

"Master Ji, is Xie Qingyuan really your new girlfriend? When did you and top actress Xia Zhi break up?"

The reporters shouted questions over the wall of bodyguards, their eyes alight with tabloid hunger.

"So the media were waiting for Master Ji," the nurse murmured softly upon recognizing him. "Looks like he's gotten himself in another mess."

"Who is he?" Qi Heyin asked.

The nurse looked at her in surprise. "Miss Qi doesn’t know him? That’s Ji Ningye, the only son of the Ji family—Shang's buddy."

"I haven’t met him before," Qi Heyin said. "Shang Wenze never mentioned him to me either."

She turned her gaze to the striking face in the crowd. The man was now facing the cameras, listening to the reporters' frenzied questions. His almond-shaped eyes arched like crescent moons, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly in a subtle smirk.

"That Xia what's-her-name wasn't my ex-girlfriend."

Amid the flashing lights, the exceptionally handsome man paused, responding to the reporters with a careless air.

"The reason? Of course, it's because I only like natural beauty."

His tone was light, but after a brief pause, he brought up the other person involved. "As for Miss Xie..."

"I don’t think being classmates for a few years as kids means there’s any special bond."

"My family values social equality. I hope some people take a good look at their own family background before trying to climb the social ladder."

"I can’t stand women who lack self-awareness and chase after me."

Ji Ningye wore a deceptively polite smile, but his words were scathing, his eyes already brimming with disdain and impatience.

As his words fell, the surroundings went momentarily silent before the reporters burst forth with even more eager questions:

"Young Master Ji, are you implying that Xia Zhi had plastic surgery?!"

"So there’s no childhood romance? Were all those online rumors just Miss Xie Qingyuan’s one-sided claims?"

"Were you mocking the Xie family as unworthy just now?"

"You emphasized social equality—does that mean the Ji family has already arranged a marriage for you?"

"......"

At the back of the crowd, Qi Heyin, seated in her wheelchair, had already quietly put on the mask Nurse handed her, ensuring only her eyes were visible.

The media scrum was too chaotic—she had no intention of accidentally ending up on camera.

Silently observing the man surrounded by countless reporters, Qi Heyin’s expression gradually assumed the same intense focus she usually reserved for academic research.

...So this was Ji Ningye. The playboy from the original novel, infamous for his scandals and the constant parade of socialites and starlets vying for his attention.

She had only heard of him before—this was her first time seeing another male lead besides Shang Wenze in this world.

Ji Ningye, the only heir of the Ji family, a centuries-old noble house in the imperial capital. His mother was a senior official overseeing the empire’s cultural and entertainment affairs, while his father was a fashion tycoon.

The Ji family held majority stakes in multiple internationally renowned luxury brands, with thousands of high-end production lines spanning from apparel, leather goods, and luggage to cosmetics and jewelry. Their luxury labels were sought after by the elite, their market value reaching hundreds of billions of star credits, cementing their dominant position in the global fashion industry.

Truly befitting one of the original novel’s top-tier Celestial Nobles male leads. In just this brief encounter, Qi Heyin sensed from him the same innate, lofty sense of class and superiority that Shang Wenze exuded.

And from what she knew, Ji Ningye himself was indeed a staunch believer in the doctrine of "class supremacy."

Hidden safely behind the sea of people, Qi Heyin studied Ji Ningye intently. She was so absorbed that she didn’t expect her gaze to meet his seemingly casual glance across the crowd.

Their eyes locked for a fleeting moment before parting.

In that brief exchange, that dazzlingly handsome yet frivolous face seemed to falter slightly.

Qi Heyin didn’t miss the hint of surprise in Ji Ningye’s eyes.

Did he know her?

Blinking, slightly confused, Qi Heyin hadn't forgotten she was still wearing her mask today.

So was it an illusion or...

Her gaze followed him once more.

Ji Ningye strode briskly and had already walked past her quickly. A swarm of reporters surged after him, and the surrounding crowd thinned out considerably.

His figure dwindled to a speck in the distance without him ever turning back.

...It really was just an illusion, Qi Heyin thought.

Just then, the nurse's communicator rang again. She promptly answered it, exchanging a few words with the caller before turning to Qi Heyin.

"Miss Qi, Chairman Qi has arrived."