Wen Zhi looked quietly at the man in front of her.
Nothing was wrong with her.
She had simply withdrawn her feelings and returned their relationship to that of ordinary partners.
Partners shared three meals a day.
When necessary, they helped each other satisfy basic physical needs.
Closer than friends—but that was all.
No love.
No attachment.
Wen Zhi calmly pulled her wrist out of Mo Tingyan's palm and said evenly,
"I need to go to the company early today. I'm helping Qiao Qiao check some information from the airline."
"Really?" Mo Tingyan asked.
Wen Zhi nodded.
"Alright," he replied. "Then wait five minutes. I'll go with you."
"No need."
Mo Tingyan said directly, "If you say no, that means you're upset with me."
Wen Zhi: "..."
Whatever. Let him think what he wants.
Mo Tingyan quickly went back to change his clothes, then rushed to the dining table and took a few hurried bites of breakfast before returning to her side and pulling her hand as they went downstairs.
At first, Wen Zhi wanted to pull away.
But knowing Mo Tingyan's personality, she understood that if she forced herself free, he would only grow more suspicious—and she would have to waste even more words explaining herself.
So she simply let him hold her hand.
After all, losing a bit of personal space wouldn't cost her anything.
After arriving at the company, Wen Zhi immediately separated from Mo Tingyan, using the excuse of helping Lian Qiao find资料 to stay out of sight.
After the pre-flight briefing, everyone boarded the plane. While disinfecting the work area, Wen Zhi listened as Chief Attendant Xue asked casually,
"Xiao Zhi, after I saw you dance last time, I've been thinking about enrolling my daughter in classical dance. But she's already eight—do you think it's too late?"
"Not at all," Wen Zhi replied gently. "If she really likes it, even starting in her teens is fine. It's just that stretching will be more painful. And dancing requires persistence—I still stretch my legs every night before bed."
Just as she finished speaking, the cockpit door opened.
Mo Tingyan walked out, smiling brightly at the two of them.
"Oh? You're paired with the chief attendant today?"
The warmth on Wen Zhi's face instantly faded. She switched seamlessly into her professional work expression and replied coolly,
"Yes."
Mo Tingyan raised his hand and rubbed the top of her head.
"Then I'll trouble my precious girl to make me a cup of coffee?"
Wen Zhi tilted her head slightly, avoiding his touch. Treating him exactly like any other captain, she gave a polite nod.
"Of course."
She turned and walked past him to prepare the coffee.
Mo Tingyan awkwardly withdrew his hand. He could clearly sense that something was off—but with so many people around, he couldn't say anything. After smiling at the chief attendant, he returned to the cockpit.
After Wen Zhi delivered the coffee, the chief attendant leaned closer and whispered,
"Did you and the captain have a fight?"
Wen Zhi looked at her and smiled lightly.
"No."
"Then why does it feel like you're being so… distant and professional with him?"
Wen Zhi paused internally.
She only wanted to return to her old, composed self—but had she gone too far?
No.
She had to stay calm.
Being angry meant she still cared.
And she refused to care about a man who treated her as a substitute.
She smiled gently and said,
"It's better to keep some distance while working."
The chief attendant laughed.
"That's true. You work together and live together—it's good to keep things fresh."
The comment sparked a thought in Wen Zhi's mind.
Maybe she should apply for a crew transfer… and stop flying with Mo Tingyan altogether.
The flight ended around four in the afternoon.
After disembarking, Mo Tingyan couldn't find Wen Zhi anywhere.
He called her, only to learn that she had already taken a taxi to see Lian Qiao.
His mood darkened slightly.
Tonight, he really needed to talk to her properly.
When Wen Zhi arrived at Lian Qiao's place, Lian Qiao looked surprised.
"Well, this is rare. What brings you here? Where's your evil mother-in-law?"
"Kicked him out," Wen Zhi replied calmly.
"I knew it! No wonder you didn't ask me to help watch him today. Perfect—stay for dinner."
Not wanting to go home and face Mo Tingyan, Wen Zhi agreed.
She sent Mo Tingyan a message saying she wouldn't be home for dinner.
He replied instantly, playing pitiful:
[Then what am I supposed to eat tonight?]
Wen Zhi didn't respond.
He kept going:
[Is my baby really abandoning me?]
Still no reply.
[My baby's heart is so cruel—]
[I'm starving—]
More than ten messages followed.
All ignored.
While eating takeout, Lian Qiao noticed Wen Zhi's phone buzzing nonstop and grinned.
"Mo Tingyan? Is he panicking and trying to call you home?"
Wen Zhi pressed her lips together and kept eating.
Lian Qiao nudged her teasingly.
"Hey, didn't you say before that you might be falling for him? After these past few days, any conclusions?"
Wen Zhi's heart tightened.
She had known this question was coming.
She regretted blurting things out before fully understanding her own feelings.
Seeing her distracted, Lian Qiao urged,
"Come on, don't hide it from me."
"It's nothing," Wen Zhi said softly. "I probably misunderstood my feelings."
"Misunderstood? You clearly felt different about him."
Wen Zhi shook her head.
"After calming down, I realized it wasn't that deep. We haven't known each other long enough. Besides, you know—he's good-looking and smooth-talking. It's easy for women to be fooled by appearances. I've always been rational. Once I realized that, it was easy to wake up."
Lian Qiao sighed dramatically.
"Ah, I thought I could finally seriously ship you, the icy beauty, with someone. Turns out it was false hope. But honestly—your man's looks alone make it worth it even if you didn't fall in love."
Wen Zhi laughed lightly and put some food on her plate.
"Your mouth really knows no limits. If you love shipping couples so much, why don't you form one yourself? How was that blind date last time?"
"Don't even remind me—his family probably thinks they have a throne to inherit. He suggested I quit my job and become a full-time housewife after marriage…"
Listening to Lian Qiao rant, Wen Zhi finally relaxed.
She stayed until after eight before heading home.
The moment she opened the door, she saw Mo Tingyan sitting on a small stool in the entryway, staring straight at the door with a gloomy expression.
When their eyes met, Wen Zhi frowned.
"What are you doing sitting here?"
Mo Tingyan stood up and walked over seriously.
"Waiting for you."
"For what?"
He wrapped his arms around her waist, lowering his head pitifully as he looked at her.
"Baby… what did I do wrong? Just tell me and I'll fix it, okay? Don't use cold violence on me. Please?"