Chapter 37: Crisis in the Air
The first-class cabin of the plane Yu Youyou was on had eight seats in total.
Since the domestic caretaker who had been looking after Song’s mother had already returned home a few days ago, their group occupied five of the seats.
The remaining three seats were taken by a teenage girl around eighteen or nineteen, a man in his mid-twenties, and a middle-aged woman wearing glasses with a scholarly air.
Following the system’s instructions, Yu Youyou didn’t enter another cabin but walked straight to the young girl’s seat.
Yu Youyou felt extremely awkward. Standing there so abruptly, the system’s directive pointed directly at the can of soda in the young girl’s hand.
“Ma’am, if you need anything, please let us know. But please do not disturb other passengers,” a flight attendant approached and said politely.
Yu Youyou hesitated. How was she supposed to explain to the flight attendant that she wanted the soda can in the girl’s hand?
The young girl looked nervous, her eyes filled with guilt as she clutched the can tightly.
The flight attendant gave her a reassuring glance before turning back to Yu Youyou.
“Miss, the plane is about to take off. Please return to your seat, okay?” the flight attendant said tentatively.
Yu Youyou’s gaze remained fixed on the soda can. She still didn’t know why the system was so focused on it, but she had already decided to find a way to take a closer look.
“I thought liquids weren’t allowed on planes. How did she bring this can of soda on board?” Yu Youyou questioned the flight attendant.
The flight attendant was momentarily stunned before turning to the young girl. “Miss, how did you bring this soda onto the plane?”
The girl’s eyes darted around in panic. She lowered her head slightly, avoiding the flight attendant’s gaze. “I got it from your service cart,” she mumbled.
The flight attendant frowned. “But we don’t serve canned soda on this flight.”
The girl’s mouth fell open slightly, struggling to come up with an answer.
The more Yu Youyou observed, the more she felt something was off. It was warm on the plane, and the girl’s forehead was covered in sweat, yet she had wrapped a scarf tightly around her neck, completely concealing it.
Without warning, Yu Youyou snatched the soda can from the girl’s hand. She ran her fingers over the top and immediately felt a slippery, waxy substance.
“This is wax?” Yu Youyou wiped the residue away, revealing a small hole in the can. A strong gasoline smell instantly hit her nose.
“She brought gasoline onto the plane!” Yu Youyou shouted, immediately pinning the girl down in her seat to stop her from moving.
She quickly understood what was happening—the girl had punctured the can, injected gasoline inside, and sealed the hole with wax. From the outside, it still looked like a regular can of soda. The airport security hadn’t been strict enough, allowing her to smuggle it onboard.
Everyone in the first-class cabin turned pale.
The flight attendant quickly called for backup. Several more attendants arrived, struggling to restrain the young girl and remove her from the plane.
The girl screamed something in a foreign language, her face full of defiance. Yu Youyou couldn’t understand what she was saying, but it was clear she was ready to die.
During the struggle, the scarf around the girl’s neck came loose.
Yu Youyou got a full view of her exposed collarbone—right above it was a black tattoo of three connected skulls.
Just one glance gave her an ominous feeling.
After the girl was escorted off the plane and handed over to the authorities, the flight attendants moved to calm the other passengers. The plane ended up departing thirty minutes late.
Yu Youyou was still shaken. If the plane had taken off and the gasoline had been ignited mid-air, everyone onboard would have been doomed.
Throughout the rest of the flight, the flight attendants repeatedly thanked Yu Youyou, treating her with exceptional care. At the slightest movement, someone would rush to attend to her—yawning earned her a blanket, coughing prompted a hot drink.
“Miss Yu, how did you realize something was wrong with that girl?”
The question didn’t come from a flight attendant but from the young man sitting near the girl.
Yu Youyou had already prepared an explanation. “I just thought it was strange that a can of soda made it onto the plane, so I asked about it. But her guilty reaction gave her away immediately.”
She took a closer look at the young man and grew increasingly unsettled. He exuded an intimidating presence just by sitting still.
Yet, despite his imposing aura, Yu Youyou couldn’t ignore how stunningly handsome he was.
Broad shoulders, a lean waist, sharp brows, piercing eyes—his striking, intense features left a lasting impression.
She couldn’t help but stare at him a little longer than necessary.
The longer she looked, the more familiar his aura seemed.
Yu Youyou wracked her brain until her gaze shifted to her own bodyguards. That’s when it clicked—the young man carried himself like a soldier. His sharp eyes, composed manner, and latent energy reminded her of someone trained for combat, like a sword waiting to be drawn.
Shen Juan was also studying Yu Youyou, silently analyzing her: around twenty years old, exceptionally agile like someone well-trained, young yet traveling with an entourage, wealthy but likely recently so.
The middle-aged woman beside Shen Juan, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. “Juan, staring at a lady like that is impolite. You’re scaring her.”
Shen Juan quickly averted his gaze and apologized, “Sorry.”
Yu Youyou didn’t mind at all. Instead, she asked, “Were you in the military?”
Shen Juan wasn’t surprised by her question and replied casually, “I served for a few years.”
Yu Youyou’s eyes lit up. “So you’ve retired? Do you have a job? What do you do now?”
Shen Juan had already prepared a cover story. “I work at my relative’s company.”
“How much do you make a month?” she pressed.
“About twenty-five thousand,” Shen Juan answered smoothly.
He thought that would be the end of her questioning, but to his surprise, Yu Youyou slapped her thigh in excitement.
“You’re so good-looking! Why are you wasting your time at an office job? I own an entertainment company, and I’m looking for new talent! If you join me, I’ll personally tailor a drama for you—I guarantee you’ll be famous within three years!”
Shen Juan: …
The middle-aged woman beside him burst into laughter. “Juan, I told you—your face stands out too much. It was only a matter of time before a talent scout found you.”
Shen Juan had survived countless dangerous missions, braved life-and-death situations, and never flinched.
But right now, the way Yu Youyou’s eyes sparkled with excitement—like she was about to devour him whole—genuinely unnerved him.
